They wrote throughout Istanbul's streets, “The oppression began in 1453,” in reference to the year Istanbul was conquered.

We, on the other hand, started to recite the Quranic chapter, al-Fath (the Victory), in Hagia Sophia “Mosque.”

They attempted to confine Turkey in that tight corner once again, in that colonial map of a century ago.

We expanded outside our borders, reached beyond, and started to explore the region country by country, step by step.

Meanwhile, they built fronts and alliances within, implemented covert plans.

As for us, we built defense lines inside, outside, on Anatolia’s mountains, at the zero point of our borders, in every corner of our region, in seas, in deserts, at crossroads, everywhere our memory and recollections are able to reach.

They tried to “stop Turkey” with terrorism, coups, internal invasion scenarios, outside interventions, economic sanctions, political crises, civil war plans, post-truth discourses, by corrupting the social memory, and with mental terrorism.

We said, “History has taken a turn.” We said, “The new rising period has started.” We blended the Seljuk Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Republic. We started to build a new power through this wealth and experience. We said, “Turkey can no longer be stopped.” We cried this out across the nation, outside, to our surroundings, to our friends and foes, to the whole world.

They set traps in the Mediterranean. They set traps in the Black Sea. They set traps in the Red Sea. They set traps in Libya and Syria. They set traps in European capitals as well as in Ankara.

We spoiled all their traps. We resisted all their traps. We stood firm. We did not fear, we did not fall, we did not give in, we did not kneel, and we did not surrender. We built our own fortress, our own resistance islands wherever they set their traps. We took the offense rather than the defense wherever they attacked.

They waged war against the “Turkey axis.” They used politics, the economy, terrorism, and outside intervention all for this purpose. Some bombed this country’s Parliament. Some bombed this dear nation. Some secretly made alliances with them and anticipated ranks.

They never liked what was native, what was us, what was from Turkey. They strived to make it meaningless, to weaken it, to trivialize it. They cooperated with everyone, made partnerships with everyone for this purpose.

We, on the other hand, knew that the “Turkey axis” is a breath of fresh air after centuries, an escape, a rise, a return to history and the region. We read the world, we read Turkey, we believed it; we trusted it. We anchored ourselves to the Turkey axis. We carried on the entire struggle on this axis.

They always took the opposite position against Turkey. They always built partnerships with whoever attacked Turkey. They used their tone, their discourse, their weapons. They stood by them and shot at Turkey.

We became equipped for a relentless showdown. Regardless of how strong the enemy is, regardless of how great their numbers are, and in which direction the storm blows, we continued the “relentless resistance” with our feet firmly set in the ground, without our knees shaking and voice wavering.

They wanted to bring the tutelage tradition of a century ago to the present. As soon as the “Turkey axis” became strong, they changed lines, they changed positions, and ran to the positions shown to them. They abandoned Turkey.

We, those who believe in this country, those who believe in this nation, those laying claim to the historical and regional identity, did not leave our positions. We did not even think about leaving. We expanded the struggle from within to outside, from the border to the region.

Once upon a time, they were leftist, rightist, nationalist, conservative, Islamist, liberal. Now, all these differences have disappeared. They are gathered around a single identity. They gathered against Turkey in the century-old pro-tutelage front of Europe, of the U.S., of Arab regimes.

We were nothing but Turkey. If the world gathered and World War I broke out again, the Çanakkale war happened all over again, we are what we are and we are going to remain as is.

We accumulated our voice, our breath, our speed, our happiness and fury all on these lands. We see Turkey, the region, the U.S. and Europe, Russia and China from these lands.

Even during the pandemic that wreaked havoc on the world, they hit Turkey. They wanted it to stagger, to stumble, to fail, to be helpless. They did not support the country, even through these difficult times. Where they did not have the strength, they tried to demotivate and harm social psychology.

They said, “Let Erdoğan lose strength, let Turkey’s economy collapse, let social solidarity break so we have a chance at coming to power.” They made plans over our nation’s collapse, our people’s death.

We, in other words, Turkey, those who believe in this country offered both them and the world a strong leadership, a firm state, a patient and resistant nation, a magnificent example of solidarity and coordination.

We protected ourselves and ran to the world’s aid.

While they were waiting for “Turkey to collapse,” the world instead witnessed a country become a star.

History will be made by those who interpret the present correctly, who stand in the right place, who know how to applaud Turkey.

Let them be on the same lines with those who say, “The oppression started in 1453.” We already started reciting Surah al-Fath (the Quranic chapter titled “The Victory) at Hagia Sophia “Mosque.”