Kars residents raise Turkish flag near border with Armenia 20-year dream

Residents of İncedere village in the Akyaka district of Türkiye’s Kars Province have realised a decades-long dream by raising the Turkish national flag atop Mount KaraKuzu, standing at 2,500 meters near the border with Armenia, Caliber.Az reports, citing İhlas Haber Ajansı (IHA).

A 15-metre flagpole with a pulley system, a 6-metre flag, and the necessary materials were transported to the summit, where the flagpole was installed for the first time. A lighting system was later added, ensuring the flag remains visible at night, including from Armenian territory.

“We have fulfilled our 20-year dream by placing the flag on KaraKuzu. It is an honor for us and an example for our children,” said Baldji, one of the villagers.

The Türkiye-Armenia land border has been sealed since 1993, in solidarity with Azerbaijan during the First Karabakh War. The immediate trigger was the occupation of Azerbaijan's Kalbajar District by Armenian forces in early April 1993, one of seven Azerbaijani regions surrounding the Karabakh region. Türkiye showed solidarity with Azerbaijan and imposed the blockade to pressure Armenia economically and politically, linking normalisation to the resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

By Khagan Isayev