A NATO command located in Turkey congratulated the Turkish Army for its victory against Greece in the 1922 war, leading Athens to issue a stern demarche to the Alliance’s Secretary General.
A post by the Allied Land Command (LANDCOM) based in Izmir concerning Turkish Armed Forces day on Tuesday said: “Today is the 100th Anniversary of Turkish Independence. We join our Turkish allies across NATO & beyond in celebration of their Victory and Turkish Armed Forces Day.”
ZAFER BAYRAMINIZ KUTLU OLSUN / HAPPY VICTORY DAY 🇹🇷
Today is the 100th Anniversary of Turkish Independence. We join our Turkish allies across NATO& beyond in celebration of their Victory and Turkish Armed Forces Day 🇹🇷@tcsavunma pic.twitter.com/Q8DpGXEoN9
— NATO Allied Land Command (@LANDCMD) August 30, 2022
Greece: NATO Command’s tweet was tasteless and unacceptable
According to a foreign ministry announcement in Athens on Wednesday, the post in question “in addition to being tasteless, was also unacceptable.”
“At the same time, Greek military authorities in NATO will proceed with a similar representation to NATO’S Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE)…to which LANDCOM is answerable,” the announcement added.
Turkey marks day that led to the Asia Minor disaster for Greece
Victory Day in Turkey also known as Turkish Armed Forces Day commemorates the decisive victory in the Battle of Dumlupınar, the last battle in the Greco-Turkish War, on August 30, 1922.
Following the battle, Greek presence in Anatolia ended. Victory Day has been celebrated as an official holiday since 1926 and was first celebrated on August 30, 1923.
Marking Victory Day on Tuesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that Greece is making the same mistake as in 1922.
Speaking at the Victory Day concert to mark the defeat of the Greek Army in 1922 that led to the Asia Minor disaster, Erdogan said that “unfortunately, we see that the Greek politicians, who dragged their own people and country to disaster a century ago, are still insisting on the same mistake today.”
“As we always say, Greece is not our equal or interlocutor in any political, economic or military way,” Erdogan added. “We know the true intention of those, who try to waste our country’s time and energy by using Greece today, as was the case a century ago.”
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