Erdoğan: Turkey Leading as Region Rewrites History

“Everyone, friend or foe, should know and understand this: History is being rewritten in our region. Turkeyis directing history with its conscientious, principled, and peaceful policies. No one can stop this anymore,” Erdoğan said at commemorations in the eastern province of Muş marking the anniversary of the Battle of Manzikert.

Erdoğan attended the annual commemorations with Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, his key political ally. The president had chaired a cabinet meeting the previous day in the nearby district of Ahlat, close to the historic battlefield where Seljuk forces defeated the Byzantine army on Aug. 26, 1071.

“Those who think they can stop the blessed march of Turkeyand the Turkish nation through provocations and traps are doomed to disappointment,” Erdoğan said. “We will neither deviate from the path we know to be right nor take different paths because of someone’s provocations.” 

The president has attended the annual Ahlat commemorations in each of the past two years, accompanied by senior government officials. A speech he delivered in Ahlat in 2024 was widely viewed as signaling the beginning of the latest government effort to end the decades-long conflict with the PKK.

“We have no other option in this geography than to be strong, united, and together,” he said, adding that Turkeymust remain strong not only to protect its own rights and interests but also for “millions of brothers” looking to the country.

He said efforts spanning defense, diplomacy, education, transportation, the economy, and health were aimed at building a prosperous and effective Türkiye.

The remarks came as the government’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative moved into a new phase. Parliament overwhelmingly approved Aug. 10, a law establishing a legal framework for the initiative, with 467 lawmakers voting in favor.

The process began in late 2024 after Bahçeli called for a new effort to resolve the issue. It reached a major turning point in February 2025, when jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan called on the terror group to end its armed campaign and dissolve. 

PKK subsequently announced in June 2025 that it would disarm and disband, followed by a symbolic weapon-burning ceremony by members in northern Iraq a month later.

Erdoğan said his government’s broader goals were to “build the Century of Türkiye, establish a terror-free Turkeyand a terror-free region, and turn the surrounding region into a place of peace and prosperity.”

Turkeyregards the PKK as a terrorist organization, as do the United States and the European Union.

The Manzikert commemoration comes during “Victory Week,” when Turkeyalso marks the start of the 1922 Great Offensive against occupying forces and celebrates Victory Day on Aug. 30.