Flag of Northern Cyprus: History and Meanings

The flag of Northern Cyprus, recognized in 1984, is a symbol of the region’s identity and independence. This flag not only reflects the history and culture of the people of Northern Cyprus, but also represents their dreams and hopes for the future. In this article, we will examine the history, political developments and similarities between the flag of Northern Cyprus and the flag of Turkey.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has its own national flag, which is based on the flag of Turkey, with inverted colors and two horizontal red stripes at the top and bottom. The flag was designed by Turkish Cypriot artist Emin Chisnel and was adopted in 1984 by Northern Cyprus, which declares itself an independent country and is recognized only by Turkey, in 1984 after unilaterally declaring independence in 1983.

The flag of Northern Cyprus is defined in Article 2 of the Flag Law of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus: “The flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, under the conditions defined by the law, has a red star and crescent on a white background and two longitudinal lines”. There is no official statement on the meaning of the flag, but it can be interpreted as the star and crescent meaning Turkishness, the red color representing Turkish Cypriot blood, and the stripes representing Turkey (top) and Northern Cyprus (bottom). Before this artist designed the current flag of Northern Cyprus, the Turkish flag was used.

Flag of Northern Cyprus: History and Meanings

The flag of Northern Cyprus, introduced in 1983 at the same time as the region’s independence, is designed with a white background and two red horizontal stripes, with a crescent and a red star in the center. These symbolic elements convey messages of peace and hope for the future, and also point to deep cultural and historical commonalities with Turkey.

Over the decades, the flag of North Cyprus has not only been a symbol of national identity, but has also played a significant role in regional political developments. This flag tells the story of the struggle to gain international recognition and the ongoing efforts to bring peace and stability to the region.

One of the remarkable features of the North Cyprus flag is its similarity to the flag of Turkey. Both flags feature a red crescent and star on a white background, these symbolic commonalities represent the cultural and historical ties between Northern Cyprus and Turkey, and represent Turkey’s long-standing support for Northern Cyprus.

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The history and developments of the North Cyprus flag from the past to the present

The Turkish Cypriot Federal Government was established on 13 February 1975 and operated until 15 October 1983, when the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was established. During this period, the Turkish flag was used as the official symbol.

Just three days after the declaration of independence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey as an independent state, on November 18, 1983, the Council of Ministers of Northern Cyprus discussed the design of the country’s new flag. It was decided to use the Cypriot flag with the Turkish flag in the cantonment (top left). However, this plan was never implemented. According to an article published in Flag Bulletin, for the first four months of its existence, the Turkish flag was used as the official flag of Northern Cyprus, while Flag of the World reports that the Turkish flag was used with two white bands.

On November 23, 1983, the government of Northern Cyprus asked its citizens and institutions to submit proposals for the design of a new flag. The design presented by the Turkish Cypriot artist, Emin Chisnel, was accepted and on March 7, 1984, with the approval of Law No. 15, it was declared as the official flag of Northern Cyprus. The official publication of the flag in the official gazette took place on March 9, 1984.

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The history of the evolution of the North Cyprus flag from the past to the present

To understand the evolution of the flag of North Cyprus, it is necessary to look at the history of the flag of the island of Cyprus:

• In the 15th century, Cyprus entered the world arena with its kingdom flag, which was used from 1192 to 1489.
• After that, the island was ruled by the Venetians until 1571.
• The period of Ottoman rule over Cyprus continued from 1844 to 1878.
• When Cyprus was colonized by the British, the country’s flag changed in two periods: 1922-1881 and 1922-1960.
• After the independence of Cyprus in 1960, a new flag was unveiled by the Turkish artist Ismet Goni, in line with the Zurich and London agreements. At that time, Cyprus was known as a united island and the flag was designed with neutral and peaceful elements.
• Since then, the flag of Cyprus has been changed three more times, mostly related to the shape of the olive branches and its dimensions and copper color.
• The final flag with a peaceful design has been recognized by international organizations. Also, in 2004, a flag was proposed for the United Republic of Cyprus, which was not implemented due to rejection by the Greek Cypriot community.

Variations of the flag of Northern Cyprus

The following can be said about the changes in the North Cyprus flag:

• In February 1975, the Federal Government of Türkiye, whose flag is located in this section, was formed.
• In 1983, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was established and unilaterally declared its independence. In November of the same year, the Council of Ministers of Northern Cyprus created a new flag, the middle flag.
• Finally, in March 1984, the current flag of Northern Cyprus, designed by Amin Chisnel, was adopted.

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