A gigantic flag that – once completed – will be the largest flag in Turkey is being built on a mountainside in Kahramanmaraş, a Turkish town that played an important role in the Turkish War of Independence during the efforts to expel the occupying European powers after the defeat and fall of the Ottoman Empire in World War One.
Local media reported that the project has been promoted by the district of Onikişubat and is being created on Mount Ahır, which dominates the region’s orography. Once completed, the gigantic flag will have a surface area of 40,000 square metres and will stand at an altitude of 1,800 metres, visible to the naked eye from almost any point in the city of Kahramanmaraş. Alongside the flag, a representation of a gigantic medal will also be created, with a surface area of 6,000 square metres, representing the Independence Medal awarded to the city after the war.
The proportions, design and colours of the huge Turkish flag follow the standards set by law, the mayor of Onikişubat, Hanifi Toptaş, stressed in statements to the Turkish press, explaining that the flag will be illuminated at night. Toptaş gave details such as that the crescent of the flag will be 2,300 square metres, while the accompanying star has an area of 500 square metres. Compressor pumps and a special paint made from asphalt are being used to apply the colours.
“Kahramanmaraş is a city that wrote its own epic history during the War of Independence. Now we are building a new symbol that reaches up to the sky: a giant Turkish flag is being integrated into nature, because these mountains are not only part of the landscape but also a reflection of the pride of a nation,” said the mayor.
During the Turkish War of Independence (19 May 1919 – 29 October 1923) the inhabitants of Kahramanmaraş – then simply called Maraş – organised a fierce resistance against the French occupation forces, which they finally forced to withdraw in 1920. Because of their heroic struggle, in 1925 the Turkish parliament awarded the city the Medal of Independence; decades later, in 1973, the same parliament approved the addition of the prefix Kahraman (‘hero’ in Turkish) to the city’s name, which nowadays is known as ‘heroic Maraş’.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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