Kocatepe and the Great Offensive Battle Sites

Kocatepe is the low, open hill south-west of Afyonkarahisar from which Commander-in-Chief Mustafa Kemal directed the opening phase of the Great Offensive on 26 August 1922 — the decisive campaign that ended the Turkish War of Independence. The hill now carries a modest memorial and viewpoint, and the surrounding landscape of rolling steppe retains the character of the battlefield it once was. The wider battle area extends west toward Dumlupınar, approximately 60 kilometres from Afyonkarahisar, where the final encirclement of the Greek forces on 30 August 1922 secured the Turkish victory. That engagement is commemorated at the Dumlupınar Victory Monument and the Başkomutan Historical National Park, which contains the Zafer Panorama museum — a large circular panoramic painting depicting the closing moments of the battle. Individual monuments and grave markers are scattered across the intervening plain. A thorough visit to Kocatepe and the main Dumlupınar monuments forms a compelling half-day excursion from Afyonkarahisar city. The journey is best made by car, as public transport connections are very limited. Commemorations held around 26–30 August each year attract large official ceremonies at the main battlefield sites. The landscapes are most rewarding in spring when the steppe is green and in autumn under clear skies.