Flag of Turkey

The **flag of Turkey** (Turkish: *Türk bayrağı*) is a red flag featuring a white star and crescent. The flag is often called *al bayrak* (the red flag), and is referred to as *al sancak* (the red banner) in the Turkish national anthem. The current design of the Turkish flag is directly derived from the late Ottoman flag, which had been adopted in the late 18th century and acquired its final form in 1844. The measures, geometric proportions, and exact tone of red of the flag of Turkey were legally standardized with the Turkish Flag Law on May 29, 1936.

## Early history

The pre-modern Ottoman armies used the horse-tail standard or *tugh* rather than flags. Such standards remained in use alongside flags until the 19th century. A depiction of a tugh is found in the *Relation d'un voyage du Levant* by Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1718). War flags came into use by the 16th century. During the 16th and 17th centuries, Ottoman war flags often depicted the bifurcated *Zulfiqar* sword, often misinterpreted in Western literature as showing a pair of scissors. A Zulfiqar flag claimed to have been used by Selim I (d. 1520) is on exhibit in the Topkapı Museum. Two Zulfiqar flags are also depicted in a plate dedicated to Turkish flags in vol. 7 of Bernard Picart's *Cérémonies et coutumes religieuses de tous les peuples du monde* (1737), attributed to the Janissaries and the Ottoman cavalry. The crescent symbol appears in flags attributed to Tunis from as early as the 14th century (*Libro de conoscimiento*), long before Tunis fell under Ottoman rule in 1574. The Spanish Navy Museum in Madrid shows two Ottoman naval flags dated 1613; both are swallow-tailed, one green with a white crescent near the hoist, the other white with two red stripes near the edges of the flag and a red crescent near the hoist.

### Adoption

The adoption of star and crescent as the state symbol started during the reign of Mustafa III (1757–1774) and its use became well-established during Abdul Hamid I (1774–1789) and Selim III (1789–1807) periods. According to Znamierowski, the red flag with white crescent and star was adopted in 1793. A *buyruldu* from that year states that the ships in the Ottoman navy have that flag, and various other documents from earlier and later years mention its use. The number of points in the star was initially not fixed. The white crescent with an eight-pointed star on a red field is depicted as the flag of a "Turkish Man of War" in Colton's *Delineation of Flags of All Nations* (1862). Steenbergen's *Vlaggen van alle Natiën* of the same year shows a six-pointed star. A plate in *Webster's Unabridged* of 1882 shows the flag with an eight-pointed star labelled "Turkey, Man of war". The five-pointed star seems to have been present alongside these variants from at least 1857. With the Tanzimat reforms in the 19th century, flags were redesigned in the style of the European armies of the day. The flag of the Ottoman Navy was made red, as red was to be the flag of secular institutions and green of religious ones. As the reforms abolished all the various flags (standards) of the Ottoman pashaliks, beyliks and emirates,[*further explanation needed*][*which?*] a single new Ottoman national flag was designed to replace them. The result was the red flag with the white crescent moon and star, which is the precursor to the modern flag. A plain red flag was introduced as the civil ensign for all Ottoman subjects.

### Legendary origins

In accounting for the crescent and star symbol, Ottomans sometimes referred to a legendary dream of the eponymous founder of the Ottoman house, Osman I, in which he is reported to have seen a moon rising from the breast of a qadi whose daughter he sought to marry. "When full, it descended into his own breast. Then from his loins there sprang a tree, which as it grew came to cover the whole world with the shadow of its green and beautiful branches." Beneath it Osman saw the world spread out before him, surmounted by the crescent.

TurkischeHauptArmeeHochenleitterBGHistory.jpgThe Turkish army marching on Sofia in the war with Austria in 1788.Declaration of the 1908 Revolution in Ottoman Empire.pngDeclaration of the Young Turk Revolution in 1908 by the leaders of the Ottoman millets, with a pair of Ottoman flags.Ottoman Empire declaration of war during WWI.pngDeclaration of war against the Allies in 1914, with Turkish flags placed in front of the podium.Ottoman Navy at the Golden Horn.jpgThe Ottoman Navy on a postcard from World War I, with an image of Sultan Mehmed V.Ottoman troops with flag.jpgOttoman troops with a variant of the flag during the Balkan Wars.
## Republic era

### Legal basis

Fundamentals of the Turkish flag dated 1844 were laid down by Turkish Flag Law No. 2994 on May 29, 1936 during the Republic period of Turkey. Turkish Flag Regulation No. 2/7175 dated July 28, 1937, and Supplementary Regulation No. 11604/2 dated July 29, 1939, were enacted to describe how the flag law would be implemented. The Turkish Flag Law No. 2893 dated September 22, 1983, and Published in the Official Gazette on September 24, 1983, was promulgated six months after its publication. According to Article 9 of Law No. 2893, a statute including the fundamentals of the implementation was also published.

Turkish flag- Bosphorus.jpgThe Turkish Flag on the BosphorusAtatürk schoolroom wall.jpgThe Flag is prominently displayed in classrooms and any and all state institutions.Hatayannex.jpgThe Turkish Flag brought upon the annexation of Hatay.Cyprus north - Turkish flag on mountain.JPGThe worlds largest illuminated flag is of Turkish Cyprus which lends heavily from the Turkish Flag.Hatay devleti stamp.gifA postage stamp featuring the flag.
 File:Vertical Flag of Turkey.svg
## Display and use

### State institutions

The flag is always displayed prominently in state institutions from schools to ministries. The Çankaya Mansion, Parliament, Ministries, Schools, Military, Councils, Governors buildings, Muhtars offices, Bridges, Airports, and every state owned building in the country features one or more Turkish Flags.

### Uniforms

On Military uniforms the flag is displayed on a patch either on the right shoulder or on the front of the uniform. Helmets can display the flag too on the front or the sides. Flight suits, navy uniforms, Jandarma uniforms and others feature the flag on shoulder patches or helmets. Along with uniforms several emblems and patches display the flag with prominence or minor alteration.

### Days of display

Turkey celebrates many national events such as battle victories and Republic Day. People come to the streets with their flags to celebrate such days. On other occasions the public uses the flag heavily when protesting or commemorating certain events or deaths respectively. Statues and monuments may be draped with the flag while marches and songs are played. On television screens the flag is displayed in celebration of such events too with the portrait of President Atatürk next to it. The flag may also be presented at half staff in mourning of tragic events or important days.

### Funerals

The flag has a prominent display on state and military funerals. A burial flag is always draped over the deceased coffin and is carried by the Askeri İnzibat or relatives of the deceased. Soldiers of all types and the Presidential Guard also carry the coffin at times. Many attendees also feature the flag on their lapels along with an image of the deceased.

29 ekim longuner - panoramio.jpgCelebration of Republic DayKenan Evren cenaze (9).jpgFuneral of President EvrenTurkey flag.jpgTurkish flag by the Bosphorus BridgeThe new embassy of Turkey in Mogadishu.jpegThe Turkish Embassy in SomaliaTurkish flags at half staff.jpgTurkish flags at half staff.
## Construction

### Colours

In an RGB colour space, the red colour of the Turkish flag is composed of 89% red, 3.9% green, and 9% blue (in hexadecimal colour code #E30A17). In a CMYK colour space, it is composed of 0% cyan, 95.6% magenta, 89.9% yellow and 11% black. It has a hue angle of 356.4 degrees, a saturation of 91.6%, and a lightness of 46.5%. The red colour on the Turkish flag is *vivid red* and this colour can be obtained by blending #FF142E with #C70000. The closest websafe colour is: #d11919.

### Dimensions

 File:Turkey flag construction.svg

* The above specification, given by Turkish Flag Law, implies that the distance between (the left edge of) the inner circle of the crescent and a vertical line connecting the two pointed ends of the crescent is  279⁄800 G = 0.34875 G; thus, the left point of the star intrudes about 0.0154 G beyond that line.

## Turkish colonies

Various lands taken under the control of the empire or were colonized by it became Eyalets and later Vilayets with their own flags.

Flag of Egypt 1826-1867 and 1881-1914.pngFlag of Turkish EgyptFlag of the Ottoman Empire.svgFlag of Turkish HabeshTunisian flag till 1831.svgFlag of Turkish TunisiaFictitious Ottoman flag 2.pngFlag of Turkish Greece and CyprusWestern Herzegovina 1760 flag.svgFlag of Turkish HerzegovinaFlag of the Aceh Sultanate.pngFlag of Turkish AcehFlag of Tripoli 18th century.svgFlag of Turkish LibyaAlgierRegency.svgFlag of Turkish AlgeriaFlag of Ottoman Albania.pngFlagf og Turkish Albania
## Flags under direct or partial influence

Many nation states which had gained independence from the Ottoman Empire had adopted their own national flags. Some adopted the Crescent Moon and Star while others not. Countries such as Tunisia and Algeria are examples of this. Other countries such as Pakistan also feature the Crescent Moon and Star but these symbols denote religion and the future instead of any history under Turkey. Past Sultanates and Protectorates of the Ottoman Empire also used the Crescent Moon and Star as a national symbol.

* File:Flag of Algeria.svg Flag of Algeria
* File:Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Flag of Azerbaijan
* File:Flag of Cyrenaica.svg Flag of Cyrenaica
* File:Kokbayraq flag.svg Flag of East Turkestan
* File:Hatay flag.svg Flag of Hatay State
* File:Flag of Libya.svg Flag of Libya
* File:Flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.svg Flag of Northern Cyprus
* File:Flag of Malaysia.svg Flag of Malaysia
* File:Flag of Mauritania.svg Flag of Mauritania
* File:Flag of the Ottoman Empire.svg Flag of Ottoman Empire
* File:Flag of Pakistan.svg Flag of Pakistan
* File:Flag of Tunisia.svg Flag of Tunisia
* File:Flag of Iraq Turkmen Front.svg Flag of Turkmeneli
* File:Flag of Umm al-Qaiwain.svg Flag of Umm al-Quwain
* File:Flag of Riau-Lingga Sultanate.svg Flag of Riau-Lingga Sultanate
* File:Flag of the Aceh Sultanate.png Flag of Aceh Sultanate

## Notes and references

1. ↑ http://mevzuat.meb.gov.tr/html/18171\_0.html
2. ↑ Türk Bayrağı Kanunu.
3. ↑ *Lors des campagnes, la marche du Grand Vizir (1er ministre nommé par le Sultan de Constantinople) est précédée par trois Étendards ou Queues de cheval terminées chacune par une pomme dorée, ils sont l'enseigne militaire des Othomans appelée Thou ou Thouy. On dit qu'un Général de cette nation, ne sachant comment rallier ses troupes qui avaient perdu tous ses Étendards, s'avisa de couper la queue d'un cheval et de l'attacher au bout d'une lance; les soldats coururent à ce nouveau signal et remportèrent la victoire...* cited after Marc Pasquin, 22 November 2004, crwflags.com; c.f. also a facsimile image hosted at the website of the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
4. ↑ e.g. Jaques Nicolas Bellin, *Tableau des Pavillons de le nations que aborent à la mer* (1756).
5. ↑ Nozomi Karyasu & António Martins, 8 October 2006 on Flags of the World.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 *İslâm Ansiklopedisi* (in Turkish). **4**. Istanbul: Türkiye Diyanet Vakfı. 1991. p. 298.
7. ↑ crwflags.com: "There was an Ottoman flag with crescent and seven-pointed star. Nearly everywhere you can read that this star has later been replaced by a five-pointed one. But when, and why? We (*Archiv für Flaggenkunde*) only found out (until now) that the five-pointed star has always been present in the imperial flag. The five-pointed star had always pointed to the hoist, as show some flag charts, and also Turkish charts of 1857 and 1905." Ralf Stelter, 27 June 1999 "Zanamierowski [zna99] gives 1793 as the date for the introduction of the red flag with white crescent and star (presumably as some sort of flag for national identity) and 1844 for the change from an eight-pointed to a five-pointed star, (not that I doubt it) but I have never been able to discover any other source to confirm or refute the information?" Christopher Southworth, 18 January 2011
8. ↑ Lord Kinross, *The Ottoman Centuries: The Rise and Fall of the Turkish Empire*, Morrow Quill Paperbacks, 1977, pp 23-24.

## External links

* Türk Bayrağı Kanunu, the Turkish text of the Turkish Flag Law No. 2893 dated September 22, 1983, establishing the proportions, production, and rules of usage of the flag of Turkey
* Turkey at Flags of the World