CONTEMPORARY YOUTH HELD THE 4TH TRADITIONAL GREAT OFFENSIVE GATHERING IN AFYONKARAHİSAR!

The 4th Traditional Great Offensive Gathering, organized by Çağdaş Yaşamı Destekleme Derneği (ÇYDD) to keep alive the spirit of the national struggle, was held with the participation of more than 200 young people from 34 ÇYDD branches.

On the 103rd anniversary of the beginning of the Great Offensive, the gathering was organized under the leadership of the Contemporary Youth Central Unit and the ÇYDD Afyonkarahisar Branch, with contributions from the ÇYDD Headquarters. The event brought together ÇYDD Vice President Atty. Ali Gürbüz, Headquarters Treasurer Atty. Gülsen Akbulak, Headquarters Secretary Aynur Koçulu, branch presidents and board members, ÇYDD volunteers, and members of the Contemporary Youth Central Unit.

The program began with a lecture by faculty member Fatih Demircioğlu on the significance of the Great Offensive. Afterwards, participants visited the Victory Monument, built in memory of Afyonkarahisar’s liberation from Greek occupation and of the Great Offensive.

ÇYDD VICE PRESIDENT ATT. ALİ GÜRBÜZ: “LONG LIVE A CONTEMPORARY, EQUAL AND FREE TURKEY!”

During the program, ÇYDD Vice President Atty. Ali Gürbüz delivered a speech highlighting the importance of the Great Offensive, one of the cornerstones of modern Turkey. Describing it as one of the greatest epics of heroism in our history, Gürbüz said:

“The Great Offensive was far more than a military operation that began at Kocatepe on the morning of August 26. The line stretching from Sakarya to Dumlupınar is the story of a nation that drew self-confidence, dignity, and determination out of poverty, deprivation, and exhaustion. This victory showed that the fundamental principles of the state—secularism, the rule of law, human dignity, and equality of opportunity—could take root permanently on this land. Its message is clear: sovereignty belongs to the nation. A nation is invincible when it unites around the consciousness of a common homeland, regardless of language, faith, or heritage. August 30 is not just about commemorating the past; it is about building today rightly and envisioning tomorrow with courage. The founding spirit of the Republic teaches us this: victories are not celebrated with parades, but by strengthening institutions, expanding justice, and ensuring equality in education. Happy Victory Day. Long live the Republic! Long live a contemporary, equal, and free Turkey!”

Following Gürbüz’s speech, participants visited the Şuhut Atatürk House, which had served as Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s temporary headquarters before the Great Offensive. They then proceeded to Kocatepe, where Contemporary Youth carried out a flag march in memory of the struggle for national sovereignty. At the site of the Great Offensive, the story of the battle was recounted, excerpts from Nâzım Hikmet’s Epic of the Independence War were read, followed by the Turkish National Anthem and a moment of silence. Afterwards, the Contemporary Youth Central Unit laid a wreath at the Atatürk Monument.

The program also included a visit to the Captain Agâh Efendi Martyrdom. At the event, Atatürk’s Address to the Youth and the youth’s Response to Atatürk were read aloud by Contemporary Youth members.

“WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE GREAT OFFENSIVE”

In the final part of the program, Ferhat Bilge, a member of the Contemporary Youth Central Unit, delivered a speech on behalf of Contemporary Youth, emphasizing their determination to walk in Atatürk’s footsteps and to defend the Republic. He stated:

“We know that Afyon does not only symbolize a victory of the past, but also carries within it our hopes for the future. In the second century of the Republic, we are here to carry forward the legacy of our ancestors and to build a more equal, freer, and more independent Turkey. The founding president of ÇYDD, Prof. Dr. Türkan Saylan, guided us with her words: ‘Youth is the name of hope.’ In the same spirit, we uphold Atatürk’s ideal of ‘generations with free thought, free conscience, and free wisdom.’ We proclaim that we are not only the guardians of the Republic but also those who will carry it into the future. We are the Children of the Great Offensive! In the second century of the Republic, we stand for a fully independent, secular, and free Turkey!”