President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday said Türkiye has no option but to remain strong and united amid growing regional challenges

Speaking at a ceremony marking the 955th anniversary of the Battle of Manzikert (Malazgirt) at the Malazgirt Battlefield National Historical Park in the eastern province of Muş, Erdoğan said Türkiye would not bow to pressure when its sovereignty and future were at stake.

"When necessary, we can set everything else aside, but when it comes to our homeland and the future of our state and nation, we bow to no one,” Erdoğan said. "In this geography, we have no other choice but to be strong, united and together.”

The annual commemoration marks the 1071 Battle of Manzikert, in which Seljuk forces led by Sultan Alparslan defeated the Byzantine army, paving the way for increased Turkish settlement in Anatolia.

On Friday, Aug. 26, 1071, Alparslan led his troops in prayer before advancing against the Byzantine army commanded by Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes.

The Seljuks secured a decisive victory after employing the "Turan” tactic, a battlefield strategy involving a feigned retreat to draw enemy forces into an encirclement. Romanos IV was captured during the battle.

The victory significantly weakened Byzantine control in the region and accelerated the process of Turkic settlement and expansion into Anatolia.

The Battle of Manzikert, widely regarded in Turkish history as the victory that "opened the gates of Anatolia to the Turks,” had far-reaching political and military consequences and strengthened the Seljuks’ position as a leading power in the Islamic world.

Referring to Israel's attacks and expansionist policies in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria and conflicts mounting in the region, the Turkish president further noted Türkiye was navigating a period of significant regional transformation.

"Everyone, friend or foe, should know and understand this: History is being rewritten in our region,” Erdoğan underlined. "Türkiye is shaping history with its conscientious, principled and peaceful policies. No one can stop this anymore.”

Israel has attacked Lebanon since March 2, claiming to target Hezbollah. The latest round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has killed 3,412 people in Lebanon and displaced more than 1 million people, according to sources.

Meanwhile, the death toll in Israel's genocidal war on Gaza has climbed to 73,417, with another 10 Palestinians killed and 25 others wounded over the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry announced last week.

Numerous victims remain buried under the rubble, with ambulance and civil-defense teams unable to reach them, it said.

Alongside the casualties, most of whom are women and children, Israel has destroyed around 90% of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, with the U.N. estimating total reconstruction costs at some $70 billion.

Erdoğan also warned against what he described as attempts to provoke Türkiye or divert it from its course.

"Those who think they can stop the blessed march of Türkiye and the Turkish nation through provocations and traps are doomed to disappointment,” he said. "We do not take different paths because of someone else’s provocations.”

Israeli airstrikes targeted the Abu al-Duhur Military Air Base in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province on Aug. 18.

Israel has carried out repeated strikes on Syrian ‌military sites since Assad's fall, claiming its actions were necessary to protect its security. Syria has denied posing a threat ​to Israel and has demanded an ⁠end to Israeli strikes and incursions.

Commitment to Terror-free Türkiye

Erdoğan devoted part of his address to the government’s "Terror-Free Türkiye” initiative, saying Ankara was prepared to take responsibility to secure lasting peace and stability.

"We have put our body under the stone,” Erdoğan stressed, using a Turkish expression meaning taking full responsibility. "Geographically, we do not live in a rose garden without thorns.”

He said Türkiye had committed itself to achieving the goals of a "Terror-Free Türkiye” and a "terror-free region,” repeating that national unity was essential given the security challenges surrounding the country.

The remarks came two days after a newly established Monitoring and Evaluation Board held its first meeting in Ankara as part of the legal framework governing the process.

The meeting, chaired by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz at the presidential complex on Aug. 24, brought together senior officials including Justice Minister Akın Gürlek, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and National Intelligence Organization chief İbrahim Kalın.

The meeting resulted in the establishment of four subcommissions tasked with overseeing different aspects of the process.

They include a Judicial and Legal Affairs Coordination Subcommission, a Monitoring and Verification Subcommission, a Social Cohesion and Integration Subcommission and a Disarmament and Strategic Coordination Subcommission, according to a statement issued after the meeting.

The bodies are expected to work on issues including weapons surrender and mechanisms to verify developments on the ground. Authorities are expected to monitor where, when and under what procedures weapons are handed over.

The judicial subcommission is expected to receive input from Justice Ministry officials as well as judges and prosecutors involved in implementation. It is expected to classify the cases of militants who surrender according to their legal status.

Following the board’s first meeting, officials said administrative mechanisms had been rapidly activated to implement the initiative.

"Our state, with all its institutions acting in full coordination, will continue to resolutely implement these historic steps that will strengthen social integration,” the statement said.