The celebrations of the 103rd anniversary of the August 30 Victory Day, hosted by the Bornova Municipality, began with a Republic Reception held at Ata Memorial House—the spot where Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk watched İzmir on September 9.

The event, hosted by Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki, was attended by Altan İnanç, CHP Group Deputy Chairman of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, former CHP Secretary General and İzmir MP Kamil Okyay Sındır, the Bornova protocol, municipal council members, neighborhood headmen, representatives of political parties, NGOs, veterans, and many residents of Bornova. Emotional moments were experienced during the reception, which featured a performance by the Turkish Folk Music Ensemble Avaz and a traditional zeybek dance.

“To Remember, Understand, and Pass On”

Mayor Ömer Eşki stated that they plan to make Victory Day receptions a tradition, saying:
“If this victory had not been won, Turkishness and this great history in the lands of Rumelia and Anatolia would have been forgotten and erased. Its first importance lies here. Secondly, as Nazım Hikmet said, ‘This land that stretches like a mare’s head from Far Asia to the Mediterranean is ours.’ Its second importance is the proclamation to the whole world that these lands now belong to us; that we would stand on our own feet here. That’s why it’s so meaningful. Thirdly, it laid the foundation of our new, modern, and civilized Republic. Today we see the bloodshed around us; we see the chaos, the wars, and what is happening in Gaza. The Republic founded by Mustafa Kemal and his comrades drew a line against all this and nurtured a new, modern, and civilized society on these lands. For this reason, we will make it a tradition to celebrate Victory Day in advance. Because our foremost duty to those who wrote this grand history, who brought it to life, and who founded this Republic, is first to remember them, then to understand them, and finally to pass their legacy on to future generations.”

“August 30 Is the Name of the Foundation”

Altan İnanç, CHP Group Deputy Chairman of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, said:
“August 30 marks the foundation of the Republic of Turkey. It is the liberation of our nation. Our duty is to hand down this ancient land and beautiful homeland, inherited from our ancestors, to our children in a more livable, modern, and prosperous way. I know and believe that we all share these feelings, and we have the power to achieve this. That power exists in the noble blood in our veins.”

“Armies! Your First Target Is the Mediterranean”

Kamil Okyay Sındır added:
“After the 30 August Victory, which culminated in triumph at the end of the Great Offensive, Mustafa Kemal was granted the title of ‘Commander-in-Chief for life,’ an unlimited and indefinite command that lasted until October 29, 1923. He was a great leader who had initially been given only a three-month command. Yet, after the 30 August Victory, he did not fall into complacency. Even though the enemy forces had been shattered, they were still on Anatolian soil; they could regroup at any moment, reorganize, and form a new front that could threaten the gains of our victory. And so he gave an order, in writing, and shared it: ‘Armies! Your first target is the Mediterranean. Forward!’”

At the end of the evening, Altan İnanç and Ömer Eşki presented olive saplings to the performing artists, while Atatürk flags and geranium saplings were distributed to the participants.