Quoting late historian Halil Inalcik, Erdogan said Sultan Mehmed II worked tirelessly to achieve the conquest and later rebuilt Constantinople into a magnificent Turkish-Islamic city through foundations and public institutions.
Erdogan also cited a prophetic saying often associated with the conquest of Constantinople: “Constantinople will surely be conquered. What a wonderful commander will be the commander who conquers it, and what a wonderful army will be that army.”
He described the conquest as the brightest link in the chain of victories that began with the Battle of Manzikert in 1071 and said it demonstrated what the Turkish nation could achieve in pursuit of its ideals.
Referring to the famous episode in which Ottoman ships were transported over land into the Golden Horn, Erdogan said the feat reflected Sultan Mehmed’s determination and faith in victory.
He said Istanbul has been the nation’s “apple of the eye” since 1453 and criticised those who, in his view, still oppose the legacy of the conquest. He argued that calls to change Istanbul’s status or criticism of the city’s historical identity reflected an unresolved dispute with the conquest and its legacy.
The president said Türkiye would continue to protect Istanbul as the legacy of Fatih Sultan Mehmet and would draw inspiration from the conquest for future achievements.
“If we truly believe, work, and persevere in the face of difficulties, there is no task we cannot accomplish and no goal we cannot reach,” he said, invoking Sultan Mehmed’s famous determination to capture the city.
Related
