NATO deletes Türkiye’s Victory Day tweet after backlash, again
LANDCOM's new post about the incident. (via X)
NATO Allied Land Command (LANDCOM), based in Türkiye’s Izmir has sparked discussions with its recent messages concerning Türkiye’s national celebrations.
A message posted on August 30, 2024, described Türkiye’s Victory and Armed Forces Day using the term “observe,” which contrasts with the term “celebrate” used in a previous message on August 20, 2024, for Hungary’s National Day.
The image used in the post was met with the same criticism from the Turkish X, the Twitter community.
It is not known whether a photo of asylum seekers was deliberately included in the post.
‘Host nation’
LANDCOM’s message on this day stated: “Today, we observe our host nation’s ‘Victory and Armed Forces Day.’”
This wording has drawn attention because of its nuanced difference from the term “celebrate,” which typically conveys joy and festivity.
In contrast, “observe” is more commonly used in contexts of solemnity or remembrance, such as for Memorial Day in the United States.
Additionally, the message notably referred to Türkiye as the “host nation” without explicitly naming the country.
This, combined with the word choice, contrasts with the message from August 20, 2024, where Landcom explicitly celebrated Hungary’s National Day and mentioned the country by name.
The distinction in language and omission of Türkiye’s name has led to speculation about the intentions behind these word choices.
Critics argue that the choice of “observe” rather than “celebrate” and the absence of direct mention of Türkiye could reflect a shift in tone or diplomatic stance.
NATO’s LANDCOM based in Izmir, Türkiye does not mention NATO ally Türkiye’s name and blocks and hides the comments on the day of Turkish National Victory Day. Turkish community’s reactions in quoted tweets can be seen.
Other celebratory messages, tones raise questions
In a separate tweet on the same day, LANDCOM did wish Türkiye a happy Victory and Turkish Armed Forces Day, stating: “Landcom wishes a happy Victory and Turkish Armed Forces Day to our Turkish Allies. On this very special day, we would like to express our gratitude to our ally Türkiye for their hospitality in hosting us here at Landcom.”
The difference in the language used in the two tweets highlights the importance of word choice in diplomatic communications, especially when addressing national pride and significant historical events.
LANDCOM’s contrasting messages from last year and previous years’ messages, which were more aligned with celebratory tones, also contribute to the discussion.
The subtle changes in phrasing have raised questions about the consistency of NATO’s communications with one of its key allies.
Similiar incident in 2022
NATO Allied LANDCOM has found itself at the center of a diplomatic controversy after deleting a tweet celebrating Türkiye’s Victory Day, following a formal complaint from Greece in 2022.
The original tweet by LANDCOM read: “Today is the 100th anniversary of Turkish Independence. We join our Turkish allies across NATO and beyond in celebration of their Victory and Turkish Armed Forces Day,” accompanied by a photo of Turkish soldiers under a large Turkish flag.
However, the tweet was removed this evening.
Greece’s permanent representative to NATO filed a demarche, describing the tweet as “tasteless” and “unacceptable.”
The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs further condemned the tweet, leading to LANDCOM’s decision to delete it.
The Greek military also announced plans to lodge a similar complaint with NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE).
In response, Türkiye’s National Defense Ministry issued a strong statement on September 2, 2022, denouncing the deletion as “unacceptable.”
Referring to Greece, the Turkish Ministry stated: “It is unacceptable for NATO LANDCOM to delete the social media post celebrating the August 30 Victory and Turkish Armed Forces Day by giving up its will upon a selfish and spoiled attitude of another NATO member.”
The ministry emphasized the official name given to Aug. 30 by the Republic of Türkiye is “Victory Day and Turkish Armed Forces Day” and that this is a national will that cannot be altered.
The statement criticized Greece’s influence over NATO’s actions, accusing Greece of sabotaging NATO missions and discrediting the alliance’s corporate identity and prestige.
The incident led LANDCOM to issue another tweet on September 1, 2022, where they attempted to reaffirm their alliance with Türkiye by stating, “We are thankful to have Türkiye as our host nation” and expressing gratitude to all NATO allies for their contributions to the alliance.
Another incident: Targeting of Ataturk, Erdogan during NATO exercise in Norway in 2017
During the NATO “Trident Javelin 2017” tabletop exercise held at the Joint Warfare Center in Norway from November 8-17, 2017, a scandalous incident occurred involving the targeting of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Türkiye, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Ataturk’s image was displayed among fictional enemy leaders, and a fake social media account in President Erdogan’s name was created to imply collaboration with hostile nations.
Upon learning of these actions, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) immediately withdrew its participating personnel from the exercise.
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs swiftly communicated its profound displeasure to NATO and Norwegian authorities, calling the incident unethical and unacceptable.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg personally contacted Turkish officials, including former Foreign Minister at that time Mevlut Çavuşoğlu, to apologize for the incident, stating that the actions were carried out by a single individual and did not reflect NATO’s views.
There has been a very unfortunate event or incident at a military exercise in Norway, during this Javelin Trident exercise, the use of the portrait of Ataturk as the founding father of Türkiye has harmed a lot the Turkish citizen and Türkiye in general. To that end, are you making a kind of investigation about how this happened and can you reassure Türkiye and the Turkish public that this kind of incident will not reoccur in any kind of military exercise or within NATO. Thank you very much.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on 24 Nov. 2017
President Erdogan, addressing the issue publicly, criticized the incident as a betrayal of alliance values, stating, “Such an alliance and partnership cannot exist.”
He supported the decision to withdraw Turkish troops from the exercise and emphasized the need for accountability.
The Turkish National Security Council also weighed in, warning that such incidents could undermine the principles of solidarity that form the foundation of the NATO alliance.
The council expressed its expectation that the investigations would be expanded to cover all responsible parties and stressed the importance of preventing groups from using NATO for their agendas.
Victory Day in Türkiye
Victory Day in Türkiye, also known as Zafer Bayrami, is a significant national holiday that commemorates the Turkish victory in the Battle of Dumlupınar during the Turkish War of Independence.
The Great Offensive – one of the greatest military victories in history – was launched by the Turkish Armed Forces on August 26, 1922, under the leadership of Ataturk, the founder of modern Türkiye, and ended on Sept. 18 the same year.
From Aug. 26 to Aug. 30 of 1922, Turkish forces fought the Battle of Dumlupinar (considered part of the Greco-Turkish War) in Türkiye’s western Kutahya province, where Greek forces were decisively defeated.
By the end of 1922, all foreign forces had left the territories which would collectively become the new Republic of Türkiye one year later.
