Turkey celebrates 949th anniversary of Seljuk victory over Byzantines with historical music video

Turkey's Directorate of Communications has released a historical music video, laden with pomp and period regalia, to commemorate the 949th anniversary of the Battle of Manzikert.

The 1071 battle between the Seljuk Turks and the Byzantine Empire is lauded as having opened Anatolia - which at the time was held by the Holy Roman Emperor - to the Turks for further expansion. 

The video continues in the vein of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's invocation of Turkish history and periods of conquest, which coincides with a fresh rivalry in the eastern Mediterranean with Greece.

It portrays soldiers from the medieval ages of the Seljuk sultans, Ottoman warriors and soldiers from the Battle of Galipoli campaign in the First World War, along with members of the Turkish Republic's current military.

In one scene, a character who appears to be the Seljuk Sultan Alp Arslan - the victor of Manzikert - receives a guard of honour from his soldiers. The video then pans out to a similar scene set in the present day, showing President Erdogan.

In Turkish history, the "red apple" is often used to refer to an object of dersire and a new city or land sought for conquest.

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The video also features images of the Prophet Muhammad's mosque in Medina, the Kaaba in Mecca, and most significantly, the Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem.

At the climax of the display, characters dressed as Turkish leaders, from throughout the ages, walk abreast into the Hagia Sophia mosque.

As they gather around the mosque's pulpit, President Erdogan is heard reading verses from chapter 48 of the Quran, Surah Al-Fath - 'The Victory'.

"Indeed, we have given you [Oh Muhammad], a clear conquest," the president, who has gained popularity on the internet for his Quran recitations, reads in Arabic.