Turkmen Flag

The national flag of Turkmenistan () features a white crescent and five stars representing the five regions of the country and the Five Pillars of Islam. Placed upon a green field is a symbolic representation of the country's famous carpet industry. It was introduced as the flag of Turkmenistan on 27 September 1992 to replace the Soviet-era flag. The modified version with a 2:3 ratio was adopted on 24 January 2001. State Flag and Constitution Day is celebrated on 18 May.

Design

Description

The flag features a green field with a vertical red stripe on the hoist side, containing five carpet guls (designs used in producing rugs) stacked above two crossed olive branches similar to those on the flag of the United Nations. A white crescent moon and five white five-pointed stars appear as a charge on the fly side of the red stripe.

Colors

Symbolism

While no official explanation has been given for the symbolism of the flag's colors or white symbols, there are several leading theories. Some such as the Russian Centre of Vexillology and Heraldry claim that the green field stands for life, land, grass, prosperity, and peace, while the crescent moon symbolizes the clear sky above Turkmenistan's people. They claim the stars represent the five provinces ('' welaýatlar'') of Turkmenistan: Ahal, Balkan, Daşoguz, Lebap and Mary. Soon after the flag was adopted, multiple newspapers gave their own explanations of the flag's symbolism, claiming that the color green was chosen to resemble banners historically used by the Turkmen people, and the color white was chosen to represent the brightness of life. They also reported that the five points on the stars represented the five states of matter, solid, liquid, gas, plasma, and crystal, while the number of stars represented the five main preconditions of life, light, sound, taste, smell, and feeling. The newspapers stated that stars and crescent moon together symbolized the belief in a bright future.

The five traditional carpet guls represent the five major tribes of Turkmenistan, and form motifs in the country's state emblem and flag. The Turkmen tribes in traditional order (as well as top to bottom) are the Teke, Yomut, Saryk, Chowdur, and Ersari.

File:First carpet gul from flag of Turkmenistan.svg, Teke
File:Second carpet gul from flag of Turkmenistan.svg, Yomut
File:Third carpet gul from flag of Turkmenistan.svg, Saryk
File:Fourth carpet gul from flag of Turkmenistan.svg, Chowdur
File:Fifth carpet gul from flag of Turkmenistan.svg, Ersari

History

Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic

On October 6, 1926, the Constitution of the Turkmen SSR was adopted, instating the first flag of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic. The flag was a red field, with a gold-bordered red star and golden hammer and sickle in its canton. On March 2, 1937, a new constitution was adopted, changing the flag to a red banner with the gold letters "T.S.S.R." in its canton. On July 19, 1940, the Latin letters in the canton were changed to Cyrillic letters, to match the Republic's new alphabet. The letters in the canton were now "T.C.C.P.". On August 1, 1953, a decree from the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Turkmen SSR changed the flag to a red field with two horizontal blue bars in its middle, and a golden hammer and sickle and gold-bordered red star in its canton. The state constitution was amended to address this change. On September 23, 1974, the Presidium again modified the flag, moving the star and hammer and sickle to border the hoist. No modifications would be made to the flag's design until Turkmenistan gained independence.

Modern flag

After independence in 1991, the government of Turkmenistan decided to change its national symbols, including the flag. In early February 1992 an exhibition was held at the hall of the Union of Artists in Ashgabat, which displayed proposed flags and coats of arms from across the country. That same month, members of the 13th meeting of the Supreme Soviet were tasked with choosing a flag from the proposed designs. On February 19, 1992, the new flag was signed into law. On March 21, 1992, the Turkmen New Year, president Saparmurat Niyazov raised the flag for the first time.

On January 29, 1997, amendments were made to the Law of Turkmenistan On the State Flag of Turkmenistan. An olive branch, a common symbol of the United Nations, was added to the national flag following the United Nations' proclamation of Turkmenistan's permanent neutrality on December 12, 1995. This was done to commemorate the principles of neutrality in the national symbols of Turkmenistan. The positioning of the crescent and stars was also changed, with the crescent positioned roughly to its current position but with the stars in a much more uneven position.

In 24 January 2001, the flag's proportion was changed from 1:2 to 2:3 and the green field was made lighter.

In 2008, a giant flagpole standing tall and flying the Turkmen flag was installed in front of The State Museum of the State Cultural Center of Turkmenistan in Ashgabat. The flag measures and weighs . The flagpole was entered into the Guinness World Records. An honorary guard is stationed at its base.

See also

*Emblem of Turkmenistan

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Turkmenistan, Flag of
National flags

Flags introduced in 1992
Flags introduced in 1997
Flags with star and crescent
Flags introduced in 2001
Flag