the 16 warriors each represented one of the 16 empires of Turkish history, dating back to well before the Turkic conquest of Asia Minor, where modern-day Turkey is located.
These past chapters of Turkic history include the great Hunnic empire founded around 200 BC though to the Seljuk Empire, the Mughal Empire, and right up to the Ottoman Empire that was dissolved in the 1920s with the foundation of the Turkish republic.
These 16 empires are also symbolised in the 16 stars of the official seal of the Turkish presidency that has been given a new prominence since Erdogan moved from the office of the prime minister in August presidential elections.
State media reports implied that the warriors would be a regular feature at ceremonies in the palace
