The flag of Turkey (Turkish: Türk bayrağı, meaning: Turkish flag) is a red flag including the full moon with a star moving centrally in front of the sun with reference to the meeting of the Turkic solar deity Gün Ana (Mother Sun) and the moon god Ay Ata (Father Moon) brought by the space god Erkliğ. The event technically constitutes a solar eclipse when the moon partially occults the sun at times of syzygy. The flag is often called Al bayrak (the red flag) and referred to as Al sancak (the red banner) in the Turkish national anthem.
The sun, star and the moon are all sky elements symbolizing the Tengriist beliefs of the sky-worshiping ancient Turks. In Turkic Mythology four colours are associated with four cardinal directions: blue (gök) with east, white (ak) with west, red (al) with south, black (kara) with north. These colours represent the direction towards the zenith where the Tengri is residing in the sky. The Black Sea (Karadeniz) is named for its position in the north, and the Turkish/Qırımtatar name of the Mediterranean, Akdeniz ('White Sea'), refers to its position in the west. The red and white colours on the flag of Turkey thus symbolize the south-western branch of Turks called Oghuzes who are the founders of present-day Turkey as well as Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Gagauzia and the historic Ottoman Empire. Turkestan's flag is the same of Turkey's, the only difference being the background is light blue instead of red.[1][2][3]