Victory Day in Turkey

Military parades and ceremonies at monuments to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who founded the Turkish Republic, are some common ways to celebrate Victory Day in Turkey. Turkish flags often adorn shops, public offices and people’s houses on this day.

Victory Day is a national holiday celebrated in Turkey on August 30 each year.

What do people do?

Many people in Turkey celebrate Victory Day by attending military parades, which take place in many big cities throughout the country. Air forces celebrate the day with demonstration flights. The jets involved in such flights usually leave a red-and-white trail, symbolizing the Turkish flag.

Residents and shop owners decorate their windows with Turkish flags and images of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. State officials attend a ceremony at Atatürk’s Mausoleum in Ankara. All promotions in the Turkish Armed Forces take place on this day, and military schools hold annual graduation ceremonies on August 30.

Public life

Victory Day is a national public holiday in Turkey on August 30. Administration buildings and schools are closed on this day. Workers in private companies may have a day off or work until noon, but most large supermarkets and shops stay open. Public transport routes may vary in the event of street parades.

Victory Day Background

Victory Day in Turkey commemorates the key Turkish victory against Greek forces in the Battle of Dumlupınar (August 26-30, 1922). The outcome of the battle, which took place in Kütahya province in western Turkey, determined the overall outcome of the Turkish War of Independence (1919-1923).

Although foreign forces left the country for good in the autumn (or fall) of 1922, Turkish people accept August 30 as the date of the Turkish troops’ overall victory. Victory Day was first celebrated in only a few cities in Turkey – such as Ankara, Izmir and Afyonkarahisar – on August 30, 1923. It became a national holiday in 1935.

Victory Day Symbols

The Turkish flag and images of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk are the symbols of Victory Day in Turkey.