“9 November – State Flag Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan – is a landmark day of special political and spiritual significance in the history of our people’s independence. Our tricolour flag was first adopted as the state flag on 9 November 1918 by a decision of the government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. The blue colour expresses our Turkic origin, the red colour the ideals of modernity and progress, and the green colour our belonging to Islamic civilisation”:
This was said to Globalinfo.az by political scientist Zuriya Garayeva.
The political scientist noted that the restoration of our tricolour flag, whose use as an attribute of statehood was ended during the years of Soviet power, is linked precisely to the name of National Leader Heydar Aliyev:
“On 17 November 1990, on the initiative and under the leadership of Great Leader Heydar Aliyev, a session of the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic adopted the tricolour flag of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic as the state flag of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. At the same time, the question of recognising this flag as the state flag of Azerbaijan was raised before the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR. As a result, on 5 February 1991 our tricolour flag was confirmed as the state flag of Azerbaijan. This historical sequence shows that in the restoration of our independent statehood the decisive role was played by Heydar Aliyev’s political will and his loyalty to the traditions of national statehood.
Respect for our national flag also holds a special place in the statehood policy pursued by President Ilham Aliyev. By the head of state’s order of 17 November 2007, work began on creating the State Flag Square in Baku, and on 1 September 2010 the square was ceremonially opened. The erection at that time of a 162-metre flagpole was an international-level demonstration of the importance Azerbaijan attaches to its state symbols.
Zuriya Garayeva
The establishment of 9 November as State Flag Day by President Ilham Aliyev’s order of 17 November 2009 perpetuated this historical tradition at state level. Today our tricolour flag is a symbol not only of our independence but also of the full restoration of our territorial integrity and sovereignty.
As a result of the historic Victory in the 2020 Patriotic War and the full securing of our sovereignty in 2023, our flag flies proudly in Shusha, Khankendi, Khojaly and our other liberated territories. Our tricolour flag, which once expressed our aspirations for national freedom, today embodies the political will of a victorious, strong and sovereign Azerbaijan. In this sense, State Flag Day is not merely a commemoration of a historical event but also an expression of our national unity, our traditions of statehood and the responsibility we bear towards future generations.”
Turan Rzayev
Globalinfo.az
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