President Erdoğan Marks 573rd Anniversary of Istanbul’s Conquest
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan commemorated the 573rd anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul on Thursday, May 29, 2026. In a message shared on social media, Erdoğan honoured Fatih Sultan Mehmet Han and his brave army, expressing gratitude and respect for their historical achievement.
The President highlighted the conquest as a pivotal moment in Turkish history, describing it as the most brilliant phase in a series of victories that began with the Battle of Malazgirt.
The conquest of Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, in 1453 by Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, known as Fatih Sultan Mehmet Han, holds immense historical significance. This victory marked the end of the Byzantine Empire and the establishment of Istanbul as the new capital of the Ottoman Empire.
For Turkey, the conquest represents a crucial shift, a period of great expansion, and an enduring legacy that continues to be celebrated, symbolising the nation' s strength and historical depth.
President Erdoğan also drew a connection to the Battle of Malazgirt in 1071, where Seljuk Turks under Alp Arslan secured a decisive victory over the Byzantine Empire. This battle paved the way for Turkish settlement in Anatolia and is recognised as fundamental to the establishment of a Turkish presence in the region.
By linking Istanbul' s conquest to Malazgirt, Erdoğan underscored a long and continuous chain of Turkish triumphs, reinforcing a narrative of a nation with deep historical roots and an identity shaped by centuries of conquests.
Erdoğan’s social media message serves as a reminder of these formative historical events. It reflects their ongoing importance in modern Turkish politics and national consciousness, emphasising how the past is continually invoked to strengthen the nation’s self-understanding and future aspirations. Such commemorations are central to the official Turkish narrative of national identity and historical placement.
Source: Star
