Seljuq Empire Map Reveals Erdogan’s Dream of Ottoman Legacy Revival

The map released by Metin Külünk on Twitter
The map released by Metin Külünk on Twitter
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Seljuq Empire Map Reveals Erdogan’s Dream of Ottoman Legacy Revival

The map released by Metin Külünk on Twitter
The map released by Metin Külünk on Twitter

A former lawmaker from Turkey’s ruling AK Party has released a map of “Greater Turkey” that goes back to the era of the Seljuq Empire and its defeat of the Byzantine Empire in the 1071 Battle of Manzikert.

Metin Külünk, who is close to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, released the map on the anniversary of the battle that falls on August 26, amid tension between Turkey and Greece over a dispute on oil and gas exploration in the east Mediterranean.

The map shows what he called “Greater Turkey” that includes vast territories spanning from northern Greece to the east Aegean islands, half of Bulgaria, Cyprus, most of Armenia and large swaths of Georgia, Iraq and Syria.

His move sparked huge controversy at a time when Turkey has intervened in northern Syria, northern Iraq, in addition to Libya, and is involved in a dispute with Greece and Cyprus.

In a series of tweets, Külünk said that Turkey regained the spirit of the Manzikert Victory after the failed coup against Erdogan on July 15, 2016.

After the death of Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Turkish people fell under western influence, until they became awaken by Erdogan, he said.

“That’s why the West is currently pressuring us to get us out of these areas, but it is unaware that we have regained the spirit of independence. We are armed with science, technology and power,” he added.

Turkey has recently witnessed discussions on what is called the “blue homeland,” a plan repeatedly mentioned by Defense Minister Hulusi Akar to impose Turkish control on the seas on its shores (the Mediterranean Sea, the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea).

But its plans have come under severe criticism by the United States, the European Union and the countries of the region.

Turkey’s presence in northern Iraq and its repeated operations there against Kurdish fighters have angered the government in Baghdad. Ankara’s presence in northeastern Syria, under the excuse of guaranteeing the safety of its border from Syria’s Kurds, has also put it at loggerheads with the US.

According to observers, Turkey’s new approach, which clearly indicates its attempts to reclaim the heritage of the Ottoman empire, has taken a violent turn after it has resorted to military intervention instead of adopting a policy of “zero problems with neighbors.”



North Korea's Kim Fires New Sniper Rifle while Visiting Troops

This picture taken on April 4, 2025 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on April 5, 2025 shows North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (C) looking through a rifle scope as he visits a training base of the Korean People's Army's special operations forces to observe a comprehensive training session, at an undisclosed location in North Korea. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)
This picture taken on April 4, 2025 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on April 5, 2025 shows North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (C) looking through a rifle scope as he visits a training base of the Korean People's Army's special operations forces to observe a comprehensive training session, at an undisclosed location in North Korea. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)
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North Korea's Kim Fires New Sniper Rifle while Visiting Troops

This picture taken on April 4, 2025 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on April 5, 2025 shows North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (C) looking through a rifle scope as he visits a training base of the Korean People's Army's special operations forces to observe a comprehensive training session, at an undisclosed location in North Korea. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)
This picture taken on April 4, 2025 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on April 5, 2025 shows North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (C) looking through a rifle scope as he visits a training base of the Korean People's Army's special operations forces to observe a comprehensive training session, at an undisclosed location in North Korea. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has test-fired a newly developed sniper rifle, state media said Saturday, as he inspected special forces whose training he said bolstered "actual war capability for guaranteeing victory".

Such units are among the thousands of troops that South Korea's spy agency says Pyongyang has deployed to Russia to support Moscow's war against Ukraine.

During the visit to a special operations unit on Friday, Kim said the "actual war capability for guaranteeing victory in the war field is bolstered up through intensive training," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

He added that their training is "the most vivid expression of patriotism and loyalty to the country," according to the agency.

Images released by state media showed Kim peering through the scope of a sniper rifle that KCNA said was going to be "newly supplied to special operation units".

Other images showed him pointing to the bullseye of a target, crouching alongside heavily camouflaged soldiers, and smiling and waving to troops.

Kim supervised "automatic rifle firing drills and sniper rifle firing drills" and, after personally test-firing the weapon, expressed "great satisfaction over the performance and power of the sniper rifle developed in our own way", KCNA said.

Kim's visit to the special forces came on the same day that South Korea's Constitutional Court upheld president Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment over his disastrous martial law declaration, booting him from office and triggering fresh elections.

Yoon had defended his December 3 attempt to subvert civilian rule as necessary to root out "anti-state forces" and what he claimed were threats from North Korea.

KCNA reported Yoon's dismissal for the first time on Saturday, citing foreign media.

South Korea's opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is seen as a frontrunner in the next election, experts say, and his party has taken a more conciliatory approach towards North Korea.

US President Donald Trump, who met Kim three times during his first administration, said this week that he is in "communication" with Kim and intends to "do something at some point", according to Seoul's Yonhap news agency.