📰 Kurds mark Flag Day as symbol of unity, struggle across regions

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Kurds across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) and in Kurdish communities worldwide marked on Wednesday Kurdistan Flag Day, commemorated annually on Dec. 17 as a symbol of national identity, unity, and decades of struggle for rights and recognition. In fact, administration institutions, schools, and public buildings in the KRI raised the Kurdish flag, while authorities and political leaders issued statements highlighting the flag’s historical and cultural significance.

The red, white, and green tricolor, bearing a yellow sun with 21 rays at its center, has long represented Kurdish aspirations for dignity, peace, and self-determination. Dec. 17 was designated Kurdistan Flag Day to mark the first official hoisting of the Kurdish flag in the city of Mahabad in 1945, during the early phase of Kurdish self-rule in what later became known as the Republic of Kurdistan.

Though the republic was short-lived, the flag endured as a unifying national symbol for Kurds across Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Iran, and the diaspora. The sun emblem, known as Roj, reflects deep-rooted cultural heritage and renewal, while the 21 rays are commonly associated with Newroz, the Kurdish emerging Year celebrated on March 21. The flag was formally adopted by Kurdistan’s authorities in the 1990s following the uprising against the former Iraqi regime and the establishment of autonomous Kurdish institutions.

Despite ongoing political divisions and regional challenges, Kurdistan Flag Day remains a moment of collective reflection for Kurds, underscoring shared history, sacrifice, and persisted calls for freedom, democracy, and coexistence. By Jwan Shekaki