Sakarya Battle marks 105th anniversary of historic Turkish victory

The 105th anniversary of the Battle of Sakarya marks a turning point in the Turkish War of Independence. Following the Battle of Eskişehir, the Turkish army retreated 100 kilometers to the east of the Sakarya River, a move that caused significant tension within the Parliament and among the public as Greek forces advanced.

To address the crisis, the Parliament appointed Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as the Commander-in-Chief of the Turkish Armies on August 5, 1921. Utilizing his legal authority, Atatürk issued the ‘Tekalif-i Milliye Orders’ to mobilize national resources for the Sakarya Front.

During the intense combat that began in August 1921, the Turkish army faced heavy losses against superior Greek forces. On August 26, Atatürk issued a historic strategic command that changed the nature of the defense: ‘There is no line of defense, there is a zone of defense. That zone is the entire motherland.’ This directive emphasized that no inch of territory could be abandoned without sacrifice, fundamentally altering the military strategy of the conflict.