Turkey’s president on Saturday marked the anniversary of the Battle of Malazgirt, a historic victory for the Turks in Anatolia nearly a millennium ago, praising Turkish people’s determination to protect their independence, Anadolu reported.

In a written message, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: “Defying a host of attacks from inside and out, our people have clung to this soil for almost 1,000 years thanks to the soul of Malazgirt.”

Turkey’s biggest safeguard is the “determination of our people to protect their independence, their motherland, and their future,” even in the face of economic attacks, he added.