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Turkey celebrates the 86th anniversary of Victory Day on Aug. 30, as Turkey's newly appointed chief of General Staff stressed the loyalty of the Turkish Armed Forces to upholding the founding principles of the Republic. "The Republic of Turkey, which rose on the foundation of secular, unitary nation state, will continue to walk on the path illuminated by your revolutions and principles," said Basbug, reading aloud the note he wrote in the official register. Basbug stressed the loyalty of the Turkish Armed Forces to the Republic would be the nation's greatest assurance against those who are trying to halt its move the country away from the Turkey’s founding principles.

Official Victory Day, a symbolic date on which Turkey ousted foreign forces from its lands during the war of independence, celebrations began with a ceremony held at the Mausoleum of Ataturk --founder of modern Turkey--, with the participation of top military officials. Newly appointed chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug and commanders of land, air, naval, and gendarmerie forces attended the ceremony. Gen. Basbug laid a wreath to Ataturk's Mausoleum and signed the Mausoleum Special Register.

President Abdullah Gul in a televised address to the nation said, "The great victory is a miracle that was achieved by the will of our nation and army, pioneered by Ataturk, to pr0otect our territories till eternity". Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan an official address said, "With the strength and courage that this victory, gained through major sacrifices during a time full of impossibilities, has given us; we will protect the democratic, secular, social state of law and our Republic and maintain our efforts to carry our Republic over the level of contemporary civilizations, a target set by Gazi Mustafa Kemal Ataturk." Victory Day is celebrated across Turkey, Turkish Cyprus and at foreign representations of Turkey around the world. Hurriyet reported online