 | |
| Use | National flag    |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 2:3 |
| Adopted | 12 November 1933 |
| Design | A blue field charged with a white star and crescent slightly left-of-centre |
A number of flags have been used to represent the cultural and geographical region of East Turkestan in Central Asia, particularly by states that broke away from China during rebellions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Nearly all the flags feature a star and crescent, a symbol of the region's Turkic and Islamic identity.
The most well-known flag is the Kök Bayraq (Uyghur: كۆك بايراق, lit. 'blue flag'), introduced by the government of the short-lived First East Turkestan Republic (1933–1934). It is a blue field charged with a white star and crescent slightly left-of-centre. It is identical to the flag of Turkey, albeit with a blue background instead of red. The Kök Bayraq remains a prominent symbol of the East Turkestan independence movement and the Uyghur diaspora. The Second East Turkestan Republic (1944–1946) introduced a similar star-and-crescent flag but with a green background, as well as a white flag with the Shahada written in gold. All symbols associated with the former East Turkestan republics, including the Kök Bayraq, are banned in China by the government's anti-extremism and anti-separatism laws.