History of the Cyprus Flag: 1960 Competition and İsmet Güney’s Design
The Republic of Cyprus created a new national flag for independence in 1960, deliberately avoiding symbols identified exclusively with either the Greek Cypriot or Turkish Cypriot community.
1960: a flag for a new republic
Cyprus became an independent sovereign republic in 1960 and needed a national flag for the new state.
Design competition
A competition was organized for a flag intended to represent the republic as a whole rather than reproduce Greek or Turkish national symbols.
Who designed the flag?
Turkish Cypriot artist İsmet Güney won the competition.
How was the design chosen?
Government publications state that President Makarios III selected Güney’s design with the consent of Vice President Fazıl Küçük.
August 16, 1960
The flag came into use when the Republic of Cyprus was proclaimed independent on August 16, 1960.
Why a map and olive branches?
The island outline made the state itself the central emblem, while the olive branches conveyed peace. The copper color linked the design to Cyprus’s historical mineral heritage.
Modern color standardization
Current government material specifies copper Pantone 1385 C for the map and olive green Pantone 574 C for the branches.
Why the design is distinctive
Very few sovereign national flags use a literal map of their own territory as the main emblem.
