Turkey marks 104th anniversary of the capture of Smyrna

On September 9, 2026, Turkey commemorated the 104th anniversary of the entry of Turkish forces into Smyrna in 1922, a date Ankara officially celebrates as the "Liberation of Smyrna." Both the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued statements marking the milestone, which they describe as a decisive moment in the Turkish War of Independence.

In their official statements, Turkish officials praised Mustafa Kemal Ataturk for leading the national struggle to a victory. The Turkish Foreign Ministry accused the Greek military of systematic and premeditated massacres against the civilian population, as well as the use of "scorched earth" tactics during their presence in Western Anatolia between 1919 and 1922. These accusations align with the long-standing Turkish state narrative regarding the end of the Greco-Turkish War and the collapse of the Greek front in Asia Minor.

The commemorations underscore the significant divergence in historical memory regarding the events of 1922. While Turkey frames the date as a triumphant liberation from foreign occupation, Greece views this period as the conclusion of the Asia Minor Catastrophe, characterized by the destruction of the Greek presence in the region.