Turkish flag flies over Lowell City Hall for first time

Members of the local Turkish community gathered in front of Lowell City Hall Oct. 27, 2023 to raise the flag of the Republic of Turkey for the first time in the city’s history to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Turkey on Oct. 29, 1923. (Peter Currier/Lowell Sun)

LOWELL — For the first time in the city’s history, the flag of the Republic of Turkey flew on the ceremonial City Hall flag pole in a ceremony Friday afternoon in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the founding of modern Turkey.

Dozens of Turkish Americans gathered in front of City Hall, waving American flags alongside the Turkish flag, signified by a white crescent moon and star on a bright red background. New England Turkish Student Association President Aykut Turkoglu said to the crowd that Lowell is one of many Massachusetts communities with thriving Turkish communities.

“These individuals, from faculty members, professionals contribute to the societal fabric, and enrich the cultural depth and diversity of both Lowell, Massachusetts and the country in general,” said Turkoglu. “We are eager to give back and participate in city events as volunteers wherever the opportunity arises.”

Murat Ugurluoglu, the Turkish consul general in Boston, said that modern Turkey was founded on Oct. 29, 1923 after the end of the Turkish War of Independence. He gave praise for the country’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, a portrait of whom sat next to the speaker’s podium.

“I pay tribute to our great leader, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, his compatriots, and all of our martyrs and veterans who have sacrificed their lives for the founding, and also the preservation of our republic,” said Ugurluoglu. “In fact, Ataturk was one of the great leaders of the past century.”

Ataturk’s motto was “peace at, peace in the world,” and that motto is more important than ever right now, Ugurluoglu said. Ugurluoglu’s hope, he said, is that the raising of the Turkish flag paves the way for further collaboration between Lowell and the Turkish Americans who live here.

“Although you are very far from your homeland, I know your hearts beat with Turkiye every day,” said Ugurluoglu. “But in the meantime you contribute immensely to the social, economic, political and also cultural life of your respective communities here in the United States.”

As the ceremony was ongoing, a small group of Armenian-American protesters silently watched as the Turkish flag was raised right next to a monument honoring the victims of the Armenian genocide. At the same time, a truck was seen driving around the block, carrying signs in protest of the flag raising and of the treatment of the Armenians by Turkey and its predecessor state, the Ottoman Empire. When the ceremony concluded, the protesters walked over to the Armenian memorial, unfurled the Armenian flag and placed roses at the base of the monument.

“The Turkish Republic was built on the ashes of the Armenian people,” Armenian-American protester Ara Jeknavorian said afterwards. “The Armenians were victims of genocide from 1915 to 1923. So this republic really was not built out of a desire for freedom or civil rights, it was built on the fact that they had just annihilated a million-and-a-half Armenian people, and now are denying that this ever occurred.”

The Turkish government to this day does not recognize the Armenian genocide. The U.S. finally formally recognized it as a genocide in 2021. Between 600,000 and 1.5 million Armenians are estimated to have been killed.

Jeknavorian said he felt that the flag raising was “a slap in the face for the Armenian people” by the city.

“Their leaders are saying one thing. They are saying they want to finish the job they started in 1915,” said protester Steve Dulgarian, adding he sees the genocide as ongoing today, as seen in the current situation with thousands of ethnic Armenian citizens of Azerbaijan being driven out of the country.

Turk Social Club member Cenk, who asked that his last name not be used, said in response to the protesters that the “hatred” shown towards them was sometimes difficult to process.

“We respect people’s pains in the past, but that is history, and I think we have to coexist, especially in America, as a multicultural society,” said Cenk, who read the proclamation from Mayor Sokhary Chau during the ceremony.

Organizers for the flag raising said after that they were disappointed that a representative from City Hall was not present as they were told one would be. Chau and City Manager Tom Golden did not return requests for comment Friday.