Asaf Atasoy, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Asfa Holding and a philanthropic businessman, issued a message on the occasion of the 955th anniversary of the Battle of Malazgirt.

Asaf Atasoy, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Asfa Holding, included the following statements in his message;

It’s August, and the day is Friday.

Before sunrise to the land of Rum

The Grey Wolves army launched an attack.

The heavens thundered with renewed fervor.

Oh God… In the name of God… God is Great…

955 years ago today, the Turkish army, led by Sultan Alparslan, who had sworn to save his homeland and was prepared to become a martyr, defeated the Byzantine army, which was four times larger than its own, thus opening the gates of Anatolia wide to the Turkish nation and making it an eternal homeland.

Sultan Alparslan’s victory at Malazgirt, which made Anatolia the homeland, was far more than just a military success. This victory was not only a battle won against a vastly larger Byzantine army, but also the first step on the road to the founding of the Republic of Turkey.

Sultan Alparslan, the great Seljuk ruler, demonstrated his determination and resolve with these words to his soldiers as he began the Battle of Manzikert: “My soldiers! If I become a martyr, let this white garment be my shroud. Then my soul will ascend to the heavens.” Sultan Alparslan, whose just and merciful rule served as an example for subsequent statesmen, also pioneered an understanding based on peace, tolerance, and love in the Anatolian lands.

We are the descendants of Sultan Alparslan, who faced a Byzantine army of two hundred thousand at Malazgirt and bestowed this victory upon us. The Victory of Malazgirt, a symbol of Turkishness, faith, reason, and strength, remains vibrant in the heart of our nation even after centuries. As we carry our Republic towards brighter tomorrows, the strength we derive from our past will always guide us.

I commemorate with mercy and gratitude all our martyrs who drank the cup of martyrdom for the unity, solidarity, independence, future, and indivisible integrity of the Turkish nation; our veterans; and our ancestors who preserved and glorified our state tradition, from Sultan Alparslan to Osman Gazi, from Fatih to Atatürk. I celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of Malazgirt, and I wish for our beloved nation to live in unity and solidarity, free and independent forever. I greet my esteemed fellow citizens with respect and affection.

Happy Victory Day!

May our homeland endure forever.

Abdullah Yiğit – Istanbul

Asfa Holding Chairman of the Board of Directors, Asaf Atasoy, included the following statements in his message;

The Victory of Manzikert, in terms of both Turkish and world history, and its political and military implications, is one of the most significant victories in history. The Victory of Manzikert opened the doors of Anatolia to our nation, marking the greatest step toward making it the eternal homeland of the Turks.

Anatolia has been the cradle of civilizations and cultures throughout history, and for nearly a thousand years after the Victory of Manzikert, it has been the center of Turkishness, power, reason, and faith. Our duty is to pass on this sacred legacy, bequeathed to us by our ancestors and under the banner of our red flag, to future generations with honor and glory.

Global colonialists, enemies of Turkey, must know that our beloved nation has the power to crush its internal and external enemies, who threaten its future, its independence, its homeland, its peace and order, its unity and solidarity, just as it did yesterday. For this army of heedless people who fail to learn from history, history will repeat itself.

I commemorate with mercy and gratitude all our martyrs and veterans who have sacrificed their lives for the unity, life, independence, and future of the Turkish nation and the indivisible integrity of our homeland, and our ancestors who have preserved and glorified our state tradition extending from Sultan Alp Arslan to Mehmed the Conqueror and Atatürk. I celebrate the 954th anniversary of the Battle of Manzikert and wish that our noble nation may live freely and independently in unity and peace until eternity.

Abdullah Yiğit-Istanbul

Last Updated: August 24, 2025

Asfa Holding Chairman of the Board of Directors, Asaf Atasoy, included the following statements in his message;

The Victory of Manzikert, in terms of both Turkish and world history, and its political and military implications, is one of the most significant victories in history. The Victory of Manzikert opened the doors of Anatolia to our nation, marking the greatest step toward making it the eternal homeland of the Turks.

Anatolia has been the cradle of civilizations and cultures throughout history, and for nearly a thousand years after the Victory of Manzikert, it has been the center of Turkishness, power, reason, and faith. Our duty is to pass on this sacred legacy, bequeathed to us by our ancestors and under the banner of our red flag, to future generations with honor and glory.

Global colonialists, enemies of Turkey, must know that our beloved nation has the power to crush its internal and external enemies, who threaten its future, its independence, its homeland, its peace and order, its unity and solidarity, just as it did yesterday. For this army of heedless people who fail to learn from history, history will repeat itself.

I commemorate with mercy and gratitude all our martyrs and veterans who have sacrificed their lives for the unity, life, independence, and future of the Turkish nation and the indivisible integrity of our homeland, and our ancestors who have preserved and glorified our state tradition extending from Sultan Alp Arslan to Mehmed the Conqueror and Atatürk. I celebrate the 954th anniversary of the Battle of Manzikert and wish that our noble nation may live freely and independently in unity and peace until eternity.

Abdullah Yiğit-Istanbul

Last Updated: August 24, 2025