Following Greece's official protest, NATO deleted a controversial tweet congratulating Turkey on its national Victory Day on August 30. The Alliance's decision to delete the tweet and replace it with one employing a softer tone provoked the Turkish Defense Ministry's enraged reaction.
Turkey’s Victory Day, also known as Turkish Armed Forces Day, is celebrated in the Mediterranean country on August 30 and commemorates its victory in the Battle of Dumlupınar, the last battle of the Greco-Turkish War, on 30 August 1922. Turkey’s victory in the war came after massacres of Greeks in Asia Minor, which is why Athens protested NATO’s original tweet.
The Turkish Defense Ministry did not hide its annoyance to the deletion of the original tweet, making new inflammatory claims against Greece.
With a statement published on Friday (2/9) night, the Turkish Defense Ministry criticized NATO for its stance and reiterated Turkey’s claim that Turkish aircraft were targeted by Greek S-300s.
“The deletion of the tweet by NATO after an unfounded request by Greece damages the identity and prestige of NATO,” the Turkish Defense Ministry said in a statement, referring to Greece as a “spoiled” NATO partner. Greece”. NATO then proceeded to a new post, in a milder tone.
On Tuesday, LANDCOM congratulated our Ally Türkiye on the occasion of their Armed Forces Day. We are thankful to have Türkiye as our host nation. And we thank all thirty Allies for their contributions to our Alliance. We are stronger together.#WeAreNATO pic.twitter.com/P8ooI3MpFQ
— NATO Allied Land Command (@LANDCMD) September 1, 2022
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“It is unacceptable for NATO’s Land Command (LANDCOM) to delete the social media post on August 30 and the Turkish Armed Forces’ Victory Day, bowing to a selfish and spoiled attitude of another NATO member,” the Turkish Defence Ministry claims.
“The deletion of the Victory Day message, which has not been a problem, and to which no opposition has been expressed for years, based on the demand of a country that does not hesitate to sabotage even NATO missions by locking up one of our aircraft, discredits the identity and prestige of NATO. Whether it is written or not, the fact that we won in 1922 cannot be changed,” the statement continued.
