MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli said in a statement issued to mark the 104th anniversary of İzmir’s liberation that 9 September 1922 was the sacred day of victory when more than three years of occupation came to an end. Bahçeli stated that the resistance against the occupation, which began on 15 May 1919 and became symbolized by Hasan Tahsin, grew through the struggle of the efes and Kuvayi Milliye and turned into a determination for independence with the Great Offensive under the command of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. He said that the operation launched on 26 August defeated the enemy on 30 August, and that on 9 September Captain Şerafettin Bey raised the Turkish flag over the Government House. Emphasizing that İzmir’s liberation was a historic response to imperialism, Bahçeli noted that the price of independence must not be forgotten. Bahçeli commemorated Atatürk and the heroes of the National Struggle.
Why it matters
The statement frames İzmir’s liberation not merely as the end of an occupation in a city, but as a turning point in which local resistance became connected to the nationwide struggle for independence. This approach ensures that Hasan Tahsin, the efes, Kuvayi Milliye and the commanders of the National Struggle are remembered within the same historical whole. The message’s emphasis on not forgetting the price of independence points to the function of anniversary commemorations in keeping political and social memory alive, in addition to reminding people of the past. The fundamental question left open is not how this historical legacy will be interpreted under current conditions, but around which shared values it will be kept alive beyond commemoration.
Background
Genel is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 8 reports mentioning this name in the past 90 days; the latest was dated 7 September 2026.