Flag of Turkey

The national flag of Turkey is a symbol of the country. It has a red background with a white crescent moon and a white five-pointed star in the center. This design comes from the old flag of the Ottoman Empire.

The flag is important to the Turkish people. It is sometimes called "the red flag" in their national anthem. The exact colors and sizes of the flag were set by law in 1936.

Today, the Turkish flag can be seen everywhere in Turkey. It shows the pride and unity of the Turkish nation.

History

Further information: Flags of the Ottoman Empire

The star and crescent design has been used on flags since the late 18th or early 19th century. The white star and crescent moon on a red background became the flag of the Ottoman Empire in 1844.

After the Republic of Turkey was created in 1923, they kept this same flag. In 1936, rules were made to set the flag's size and colors.

Legal basis

The Turkish flag was officially defined by a law passed on May 29, 1936. This law set the exact colors and sizes for the flag's design. Later rules in 1937 and 1983 explained how to use and display the flag correctly.

In Cyprus, people can fly the Turkish flag along with the Greek flag and the flag of Cyprus during holidays. Citizens there are free to display these flags as they wish.

Construction

The Turkish flag has specific rules about its size and shape. These rules were set in 1936. They help everyone make the flag look just right. The flag has a red background with a white crescent moon and star. The rules make sure the parts of the flag are placed perfectly.

Letter	Measure	Length
G	Width
A	Distance between the centre of the outer crescent and the seam of the white band	1⁄2 G
B	Diameter of the circle around the star	1⁄4 G
C	Distance between the centres of the inner and outer circles of the crescent	1⁄16 G
D	Diameter of the inner circle of the crescent	2⁄5 G
E	Distance between the inner circle of the crescent and the circle around the star	1⁄3 G
F	Diameter of the outer circle of the crescent	1⁄2 G
L	Length	1+1⁄2 G
M	Width of the white hem at the hoist	1⁄30 G

Display and use

The Turkish flag is shown in many important places across the country. You can see it at schools, government buildings, and airports. It flies at the Beştepe Presidential Complex, Parliament, and other key locations.

The flag appears on military uniforms. People wave the flag to celebrate national days like Republic Day. It is often shown on television during celebrations, sometimes with a portrait of Atatürk.