Türkiye’s largest flag takes shape on Kahramanmaraş mountains

KAHRAMANMARAŞ

A massive Turkish flag is being painted on the slopes of Ahır Mountain in the southern city of Kahramanmaraş, set to become the largest Turkish flag in the country once completed.

Launched by the local authorities in the town of Onikişubat, the project draws inspiration from the city’s license plate code, 46. At an altitude of 1,800 meters, the flag will span 40,000 square meters, accompanied by a 6,000-square-meter rendering of the Medal of Independence.

The Medal of Independence was established by the Turkish parliament to honor individuals and groups who played a decisive role in the country’s War of Independence.

Both symbols will be visible to the naked eye from nearly every point in the city.

Onikişubat Mayor Hanifi Toptaş said the flag will also be illuminated at night and emphasized that the work is being carried out in line with Türkiye’s Flag Law.

The law regulates the proportions, design and use of the Turkish flag to ensure it is displayed respectfully in all public and private spaces.

Toptaş noted that the crescent moon measures 2,300 square meters while the star covers 500 square meters.

“Kahramanmaraş is a city that wrote its own epic during the War of Independence. Today, we are building a new symbol that reaches to the sky. A giant Turkish flag is being embedded into nature, because these mountains are not only a part of the landscape but also a reflection of a nation’s pride,” he said.

The painting is being carried out using compressor pumps with a special asphalt-based paint.

Kahramanmaraş holds a unique place in Türkiye’s modern history.

During the Turkish War of Independence between 1919 and 1923, the city’s residents organized a determined resistance against French occupation forces, forcing their withdrawal in 1920.

For this extraordinary collective struggle, the parliament awarded the city the Medal of Independence in 1925.

Later, in 1973, the parliament also officially added the prefix “Kahraman,” meaning heroic, to the city’s name, cementing its role as a symbol of national resistance and pride.