Turkey marks 568th anniversary of Istanbul's conquest

ANKARA

The Turkish president on May 29 shared a message celebrating the 568th anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said: "I congratulate the 568th anniversary of the Conquest of Istanbul, one of the most glorious victories of our history," on Twitter.

He reminded of the Prophet Muhammad's saying regarding the conquest with a visual that read: "Istanbul will definitely be conquered. What a great commander is the commander who conquers it, what a great army that army is."

Erdoğan said: "I commemorate with mercy and respect Mehmed the Conqueror and his glorious army, who added this unique city to our heritage of civilization."

Sultan Mehmet II conquered the city from where the Byzantines ruled the Eastern Roman Empire for more than 1,000 years.

The conquest transformed the city, once the heart of the Byzantine realm, into the capital of the new Ottoman Empire.