FLAG OF TURKEY: HISTORY AND MEANING - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The flag of Turkey features an all-red design, with a crescent moon and a five-pointed star. It is the predecessor nation of the Ottoman Empire, so its history and its symbols have many roots from times past.

In the case of the flag, there are not many records of those that were used during the history of the empire, but it is known that the longevity of the current design has more than two centuries, the first similar flag having been adopted in 1793. Since then only minor modifications have been made.

Flag of Turkey. User: Orwellianist

History

The history of the flag of Turkey is complex, as there is no clear record of the history of the first flags of the Ottoman Empire. This makes it very difficult to know which banners the Ottomans used prior to the adoption of the flag of 1793, which is often referred to as the "flag of the end of the Empire."

In fact, during the early part of Turkish history under the rule of the Byzantine Empire, there was no banner per se representing the country. The modern use of flags began at the beginning of the last millennium, around the 11th century.

Before this time, the closest thing Turkey had to a national flag was the emblem of the Seleucid Empire.

The period of history between the dissolution of the Empire and the creation of the flag of 1793 leaves many doubts as to what type of emblems or flags the Turks used, but it is thought that they may have been, mainly, military and naval banners with no shape. rectangular.

Seleucid Empire (1037-1194)

The Seleucid Empire was one of the empires of Greek origin that emerged after the fall of the Empire of Alexander the Great. It expanded over a great territorial extension, even coming to dominate Persia and the entire region of the Near East, including what is known as Anatolia.

The region of Turkey and Turkish culture in general were under Hellenistic influence, precisely because of the control that Alexander the Great exercised in the region of his empire. The cities of the Seleucid Empire were, in fact, controlled by the elite of Greece.

Many inhabitants of what was once Greece also used to visit the cities of the Seleucid Empire and emigrate to them, which reinforced the Greek influence throughout this region.

Sultanates in Anatolia began to emerge some time after the fall of the Seleucid Empire. These sultanates later gave rise to the rise of the Ottoman Empire, following their unification and the alliance of renegade Byzantines and tribal Turks.

The symbol used by the Seleucid Empire was that of a two-headed eagle, usually blue in color. However, it did not have an official flag as such.

Selçuk University (logo design); Mevlüt Kılıç (vectorization)

Flag of the Ottoman Empire (1793 - 1844)

The most recognized flag of the Ottoman Empire, which is already quite similar to the flag of Turkey today, is said to have been created by Sultan Selim III, according to history. It was officially adopted in 1793, however, there is a theory about the historical origin of this flag that can be traced back to the time before the peak of the Ottoman Empire.

The Battle of Kosovo was a fundamental military confrontation in shaping the Ottoman Empire that dominated so many parts of the world. According to some legends, and one of the most popular among the Turks, is that a star was reflected in a well of blood after the battle, which may have given rise to the current design of the flag.

However, the first flag that the Ottoman Empire adopted in 1793 did not consist of a five-pointed star, but rather an eight-pointed star.

Beyond the existence of this theory, assuming that the flag was created by Selim III would historically fit with the replacement of all green navy flags by red flags, just at the end of the 18th century.

Still, the theory that the moon and the star may have been adopted after the Battle of Kosovo has some historical relevance. During the time of the battle, it is likely that the moon was in a waxing quarter and the planet Venus was very bright at night. The theory is not confirmed, but there is some scientific certainty behind the theory.

Beyond any theory, the flag of Turkey with the white moon and star on a red background was adopted in the late 18th century.

Flag of the Ottoman Empire (1793 - 1844). user: Dbl2010.

Current flag of Turkey (since 1844)

The flag of Turkey in its current design was introduced to the country in 1844, when it became the official state flag. It was a modification of the previous flag, with a larger moon and a five-pointed star. The moon became closer to the canton of the flag and the star is not as straight as it was in the previous design.

The current flag was adopted during the last years of the Ottoman Empire and no modifications have been made to it after its introduction. The only change that has been made has been related to its dimensions, but its design remains the same as the one used by the country during the empire era.

Turkey was under the occupation of the allied countries during the First World War. In fact, this occupation was one of the consequences of the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of the Republic of Turkey.

After the end of the war, the Allies took the country and established military and political control in the region. This led to a movement for independence within the country, which in turn led to the explosion of the Turkish War of Independence. For four years, nationalist armies fought the Allies until they were driven out of the country in 1923.

With the expulsion of the allies, the new Turkish government abolished the sultanate, ending more than half a millennium of the Empire's existence. The Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923, and the same flag of the Ottoman Empire was maintained. This is the same national flag that the country has today. It has only changed its dimensions a couple of times.

Current flag of Turkey (1844 - Present). User: Orwellianist

Meaning

While the current flag of Turkey has been in use for many years, it is difficult to say exactly what the meaning of its symbolism is. Red has been a color used for many years to represent Turkey, particularly on war and naval flags. However, it is not known why the country originally adopted the color red.

In fact, even when the moon and the star can be assumed to be symbols of Islam, it is not clear whether this was the reason for their incorporation into the flag.

In any case, based on the design of similar flags such as that of Algeria and Tunisia, it is valid to assume that the Ottoman Empire adopted the moon as a symbol of Islam and that the star represents each of the fundamental pillars of religion with each of its five points.

Historical origin

Although both symbols of the flag have always been related to Islam, both the star and the crescent moon are symbols that have been present in pre-Islamic culture for several centuries; particularly in regard to Asia Minor. It is very likely that these symbols were adopted by the Ottomans to honor their religion.

The color red, on the other hand, was used for more than seven centuries by the Ottomans. Merchant flags, naval insignia, and even war banners used to have the color red as their main base during the time of the empire. The adoption of the color red is a mystery, but it is a fundamental part of Turkish culture.

Culturally, the same Byzantine Empire (to which Turkey belonged for most of its history) used the symbol of the moon in various symbolic representations. However, modern banners were rarely used around this time, so the Byzantine Empire itself never had a flag as we know it today.

In fact, the star symbol was adopted in Istanbul during the rule of the Byzantine Empire. The city was captured in honor of the Virgin Mary by Constantine and the star was used as part of its symbolism. When the Ottoman Turks conquered Istanbul, it is likely that they kept the star symbol to themselves.

References

1. Flag of Turkey, Wikipedia, 2019. Taken from Wikipedia.org
2. History of Turkey, Wikipedia, 2019. Taken from Wikipedia.org
3. Origin of the Flag of Turkey, Turkey For You Website, (nd). Taken from turkeyforyou.com
4. The Origin and Meaning of the Turkish Flag, Nave, (nd). Taken from nave.is
5. Ottoman Empire, Wikipedia, 2019. Taken from Wikipedia.org