Turkish foreign ministry sparks controversy over Tripolitsa anniversary

On September 23, 2026, marking the 205th anniversary of the fall of Tripolitsa, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and state media outlets like TRT Haber issued statements describing the 1821 event as a "genocide" and a "forgotten massacre" of the Muslim Turkish population. The Greek revolutionary forces had captured Tripolitsa, the key administrative and military center of Ottoman power in the Peloponnese, on September 23, 1821, following a prolonged siege.

Ankara alleges that between 1821 and 1830, a systematic policy of extermination and a calculated campaign of destruction were directed against the Muslim community in the Peloponnese. These claims state that the destruction extended beyond mass killings to include the systematic demolition of religious sites, madrasas, and cemeteries. The Turkish government is calling for remembrance of the victims, while Greek sources emphasize that the liberation of Tripolitsa was a critical success for the Greek War of Independence, noting that the events were historical in context and remain a cornerstone of national history.

This rhetoric has intensified current diplomatic friction between Greece and Turkey. The Turkish government's characterization of the conflict as a policy of extermination directly challenges the established historical narrative in Greece, leading to heightened tensions regarding the interpretation of the War of Independence.