Victory Day is a major national holiday in Turkey that commemorates the decisive victory in the Battle of Dumlupınar in 1922, a key battle in the Turkish War of Independence. This victory marked the final defeat of occupying Greek forces and laid the foundation for the Republic of Turkey, which was established the following year in 1923.

When is Victory Day?

Victory Day in Turkey is celebrated on August 30 each year.

The following is the list of Victory Day from 2020 to 2049.

The History of Victory Day?

Following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I, the Treaty of Sèvres (1920) proposed the partitioning of Turkish lands by Allied powers.

Greek forces, supported by the Allies, invaded western Anatolia, aiming to expand their territory under the idea of a Greater Greece. In response, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk launched the Turkish national resistance movement, determined to reclaim sovereignty and resist occupation.

Atatürk led nationalist forces through a series of military campaigns against Greek, Armenian, French, and British occupiers.

The western front, particularly against Greek forces, became the primary focus of military resistance. After years of fighting, the stage was set for a decisive confrontation: the Battle of Dumlupınar.

Fought near Kütahya in western Anatolia, the battle began on August 26 and ended with a decisive Turkish victory on August 30. Commanded directly by Atatürk, the Turkish army encircled and overwhelmed the Greek forces, forcing a full retreat.

Greek forces were pushed out of Anatolia, and Turkish forces entered İzmir on September 9, 1922, ending the war. The victory at Dumlupınar directly led to the Treaty of Lausanne (1923), which recognized Turkey's full independence and marked the official birth of the Republic of Turkey.

In 1926, Victory Day was officially declared a national holiday.