Turkey's İzmir marks 97th anniversary of Liberation Day
İZMİR-Anadolu Agency
A victory march on Sept. 9 marked the 97th anniversary of the liberation of Turkey’s Aegean province of İzmir.
High-level officials, including the mayor and lawmakers from İzmir, took part in the march, which ended in the city’s Cumhuriyet (Republic) Square.
As part of the march, troops with horses entered the city, with Turkish flag raised to the sky.
Underlining the importance of Sept. 9 victory in Turkish history, İzmir Mayor Tunç Soyer said: “Today, we aim to take İzmir and our country to the future with unity, integrity, collective conscience and wisdom.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s message was also read out at the ceremony.
Sept. 9 is a local holiday commemorating the Liberation of İzmir, Turkey’s western province.
On May 15, 1919, the Greek Army landed in İzmir with the permission of the Entente States, sparking a campaign against the occupying forces in the country.
Forming the National Forces (Kuva-yi Milliye) as a means of armed resistance against the invaders, Turks knew that there were only two possible choices: either surrender to the occupation forces or fight against them.
On Sept. 9, 1922, İzmir was liberated by Turkish troops commanded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and foreign intervention in Anatolia come to an end.
The Treaty of Lausanne, a crucial agreement ending the war, was signed on July 24, 1923.
The Treaty of Lausanne -- signed by Turkey on one side and Britain, France, Italy, Greece, and their allies on the other -- recognized the modern Turkish state and replaced the 1920 Treaty of Sevres, an unfair pact imposed on the Ottoman Empire after World War I.
