Turkish Flags
After having spent a month in Türkiye in May and June of 2024, I can safely say I’ve never seen as many national flags anywhere else, although I thought the US would remain at the top of this list. To put this into context though, I must say that the majority of these pictures were taken in Istanbul and that our trip coincided with the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Turkish Republic. Nonetheless, this bold, nearly obnoxious display of flags gave me uncomfortable feeling to say the least. They hadn’t been hoisted for the national holiday or even a week of celebration: most of them seemed to be there permanently and as I learnt later on, had to be.
Living in Austria and considering its history, I would be inclined to label anyone who showcased an Austrian flag or eagle (symbol on the coat of arms) in their house, flat, office, car or had one inked into their own skin a nationalist at best, a fascist neo-Nazi at worst.
I believe pride is something you feel based on your own actions or those of someone who is close to you - not something that is inherited, passed down or automatically acquired based on your country of birth. National pride and by extension nationalism, is something I simply can’t wrap my head around. I am not against celebrations that commemorate an important event or a chapter in a nation’s history (although there are surely some exceptions there too). Still, I don’t think anybody, whether they are a Turkish national, a resident, a tourist or a traveller, needs to be reminded of which country they are in at every street corner, shop, museum, mosque, bridge, tower, shopping mall, historical site or hilltop.
Another thing that struck me was the cult of personality around Atatürk. I regret not taking more pictures related to that and the gigantic Atatürk flag in the last photo of this post might well be a temporary thing. But the sheer amount of flags and portraits of Atatürk hanging in shops, restaurants, travel agencies, on people’s balconies printed on souvernirs or etched into people’s skin make me think otherwise.
While I prepare more posts about our Türkiye trip, I hope you have fun flipping through the flags.
