Azerbaijan Marks National Flag Day

Azerbaijan marked its National Flag Day on Saturday celebrating the 101st anniversary of the tricolor adopted on Nov. 9, 1918 as the national flag of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) -- which existed for 23 months from 1918-1920.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu commemorated the day on Twitter.

"The freedom, future and prosperity [of Turkey and Azerbaijan] are connected to one another," Cavusoglu said in a joint video message with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov.

Promoting a "strengthened brotherhood" to higher levels is a duty both to our common heritage and future generations, he said, adding: "Turkey is Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan is Turkey".

On the occasion of National Flag Day, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev shared a video on Facebook congratulating the citizens.

Mehriban Aliyeva, the first vice president of country, also wished the people of Azerbaijan on this occasion.

"May our tricolor fly majestically over independent Azerbaijan forever!" Aliyeva said on Instagram.

History of Azerbaijan's tricolor flag

The present Azerbaijan is the heir of ADR, which was recorded in history as the first secular and democratic state in the Muslim East.

"The flag once raised will never fall!" is an expression written in gold in Azerbaijan's national history by Mammad Amin Rasulzade, a statesman, prominent public figure and a founder of ADR. It was the major slogan while declaring the country's independence and became the motto of the independence movement in Azerbaijan in the 20th century.

In 1991, when Azerbaijan regained its independence from the Soviet Union, the Supreme Council of the country announced on Feb. 5 a tricolor flag with a star and a crescent as the national flag of the republic.

On Nov. 17, 2009, President Aliyev signed a decree to declare Nov. 9 as the National Flag Day of the country. The day was also declared an official holiday.

The flag of Azerbaijan, together with the anthem and coat of arms, is considered the symbol of its national sovereignty.

The state flag of the country represents a rectangular panel consisting of three equal horizontal bands colored blue, red, and green, with a white crescent and an eight-pointed star, centered in the red band. -