By Faten Omar
KUWAIT: The Turkish Embassy in Kuwait marked on Tuesday the 100th anniversary of Victory Day in the presence of senior diplomats, military attaches, envoys, Turkish citizens and other dignitaries. The Turkish Embassy representative said in a speech that Turkey is celebrating the 100th anniversary of a great victory, which is one of the cornerstones of our centuries-old history, praising relations between Turkey and Kuwait have reached an "exemplary" level and continue to grow stronger.
The representative said there is wide cooperation potential ahead, as the new Turkish ambassador in Kuwait will be trying hard to deepen relations with Kuwait in every field. "August 30 is one of our history's most critical milestones, when our nation thwarted the hopes of imperialist intentions on its existence and laid the groundwork for the foundation of our Republic. The spirit, faith and will, which inspired the great victory 100 years ago, guide our nation today, too. We owe a debt of gratitude to all heroes of our War of Independence, first and foremost Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and the gallant soldiers of our military," she said.
The representative revealed Turkey has achieved self-sufficiency in defense industry products by 70 percent and currently has seven defense companies among the 100 biggest companies in the world. "We believe that the establishment of peace, security, stability and welfare in our region and beyond depends on the creation of a fair balance in the defense industry. The more we develop our national defense capacity, the more we contribute to regional and global peace," she said.
A message by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was also read at the occasion, in which he said: "Today, we are living the rightful pride of reaching the 100th anniversary of the Great Victory. I congratulate our brothers and sisters in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and all of our citizens living all across the world on the August 30 Victory Day. I thank on my behalf of myself, my country and nation all of our friends who share our joy of festival.
"Our nation, whose history is full of glorious victories, ended the liberation struggle, which it waged despite every kind of poverty and deprivation, with a clear and undisputable victory on August 30, 1922. August 30 serves as the clearest evidence of what the Turkish nation can achieve and what it can sacrifice when forced to choose between slavery and liberty.
"Lastly, the incidents that took place on the night of July 15 have once again shown that the unwavering will that inspired the Great Offensive is still alive in hearts. With the strength it draws from its history, Turkiye determinedly advances on the path to building a bright and prosperous future for it. Our country is now taking steps to turn the global economic crisis into an opportunity as well.
"Turkiye takes the place it deserves in the new world system with its growing production capacity, its exports that break new records every month and the projects it implements in the defense industry, as well as the responsibilities it assumes in the solution of regional problems. The year 2023, when we will be celebrating the 100th year of our Republic, will inshallah mark a new milestone at which we give the good news about building the great and powerful Turkiye."