Türkiye marks historic 1071 victory in Battle of Manzikert

Türkiye on Saturday marked the 952nd anniversary of the Battle of Manzikert, a pivotal historic victory for the Turks in Anatolia.

"History changed when the gateway to Anatolia was opened to the Turks 952 years ago. The spirit of unity and solidarity of the victory at Manzikert, inherited from our distinguished forebears, will continue to guide future generations," first lady Emine Erdoğan said on X.

Erdoğan also commemorated Alp Arslan, who was then sultan of the Seljuk Empire, which achieved the historic victory.

Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş also marked the victory of Manzikert, "one of the pages of pride in our glorious history."

"Our beloved nation continues its progress with the same consciousness and determination, inspired by our ancestors who made Anatolia our homeland and whose past is full of heroism," Kurtulmuş said on X, formerly Twitter.

The pivotal victory made Anatolia "our eternal homeland and shaped world history," said Communications Director Fahrettin Altun.

"Together with the spirit of 1071, we will carry this cherished homeland, entrusted to us by our heroic forebears to a much stronger future," Altun said on X.

Turkish control of Anatolia began with the Battle of Malazgirt, also known as the Battle of Manzikert, on Aug. 26, 1071, which saw the Seljuk Turks led by Sultan Alp Arslan defeat a much larger Byzantine army.

The victory accelerated the decline of the Byzantine Empire, and led to more Turks settling in the region, paving the way for both the Ottoman Empire and the modern Republic of Türkiye.

Centuries later, foreign occupation prompted Türkiye's War of Independence in 1919, in which Turkish forces-led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk-eventually drove the invaders from Anatolia.

By the end of 1922, all foreign forces had left the territories, which became a part of the Republic of Türkiye a year later.