Great Smyrna Offensive The Great Smyrna Offensive ( , literally Great Offensive ) in Turkey , was the largest and final military operation of the Turkish Independence War , fought between the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and Greece , during the Greco - Turkish War . The offensive began on 26 August 1922 with the famous Battle of Dumlupınar and ended on 9 September 1922 with the recapture of Smyrna ( Izmir ) . The Turks amassed around 104 , 000 men , the largest number they could amass since the beginning of the war , to start their offensive on 26 August and to drive out the Greek army of over 200 , 000 men out of western Anatolia . A pursuit operation started on a 250 miles ( 400 km ) wide front . The units of the Turkish Army marched in 10 days ( 31 August - 9 September ) a distance of 186 miles ( 300 km ) while simultaneously fighting the Greek troops . The Turkish Army carrying out this operation lacked all kinds of motorized vehicles ; its forces consisted of only infantry and cavalry units and its logistic support was provided by a primitive supply system based on mainly ox - carts . In two weeks the Turkish Army drove out the Greek Army completely out of Anatolia . Even the British Chief of Staff expressed his admiration for this military feat . From 26 August - 9 September the Turks chased the fleeing Greeks 250 miles ( 400 km ) to Smyrna , which was later abandoned by the Greek soldiers . Consequently , the Greek occupation of Smyrna , which lasted since May 1919 , ended too . Advance . 31 August . Turkish V Cavalry Corps , Kızıltaş Deresi , Murat Dağı , Murat Çayı , Trikoupis , Bazan Greek 5th Division , Abine , Eşme Greek 4th Division , Oysu village Turkish I Corps Francos Group of Greek I Corps , Hallaçlar , Ahatköy , Uşak , Kapaklar , Kırka Turkish IV Corps 1 September . After Mustafa Kemal ' s order issued in the Forces of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey , the main part of the Turkish Army started moving towards Smyrna . A secondary force started moving from Eskişehir in the direction of Bursa . 2 September . Tricoupis Nihat ( Tok ) Commander of the 1st Battalion of the 69th Regiment of the 23rd Division Greek 15th Division , Kütahya - Simav Turkish 61st Division 3 September . Kula , Alaşehir 4 September . Turkish V Cavalry Corps , Alaşehir , Salihli promotion of Turkish officers 5 September . Francos Plastiras , Salihli , Kasaba ( Turgutlu ) Turkish 1st Cavalry Division 6 September . Turkish 3rd Cavalry Division Greeks , Kula , Eşme , Salihli , Alaşehir Turkish 73rd Infantry Regiment Turkish 14th Cavalry Division Fahreddin ( Fahrettin Altay ) : " Kılıca kuvvet ! " 7 September . Turkish V Cavalry Corps , Turkish I Corps , Turkish II Corps Greeks , reinforcement to Smyrna 8 September . Edgard Quinet Greeks , Çeşme Menemen Boğazı , Hamidiye , Nif ( Kemalpaşa ) Francos , Balçova , Urla Peninsula Izzeddin ( İzzettin Çalışlar ) 9 September . I Corps , Nif ( Kemalpaşa ) , II Corps , Manisa , IV Corps , Kasaba ( Turgutlu ) III Corps , Kazancıbayırı , Bursa Turkish 4th Cavalry Regiment Captain Sherafeddin ( Şerafettin İzmir ) Turkish 14th Cavalry Regiment Captain Zeki ( Doğan ) Turkish 1st Cavalry Division Mürsel ( Bakû ) Belkahve Aftermath . Greek 18th Regiment , Seydiköy 16 September , last Greek troops left Çeşme . 15th Division , 13 September , Dikili . Greek III Corps , 18 September , left Erdek .