Turkish Cypriot painter, cartoonist and teacher İsmet Vehit Güney is best known for designing the Cyprus flag, the country’s coat of arms and the original Cyprus pound following the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960.
Born in Limassol on 15 July 1923, Güney began painting while still at school. In 1947, he became the first Turkish Cypriot painter to hold a solo exhibition. A year later, after graduating from the Teachers Training College, he began working as an art teacher.
He later worked with renowned Turkish painter İbrahim Çallı and continued to exhibit his work in Cyprus and abroad. In 1967, a scholarship allowed him to study at Stranmillis College at Queen’s University Belfast. He held a major retrospective exhibition in Nicosia in 1986.
Designing the Cyprus flag
Before independence, Cyprus’ two communities used the Greek and Turkish flags respectively.
In 1960, a competition was held to design a new national flag. The rules excluded the colours red and blue, associated with Turkey and Greece, as well as the cross and crescent.
Güney’s proposal was selected by President Archbishop Makarios III, with the consent of Vice President Fazıl Küçük. The design featured a map of Cyprus in a copper-gold colour on a white background, with two olive branches beneath it.
The white background represented peace between the island’s two communities, while the olive branches symbolised peace. The map was originally intended to be copper-coloured, reflecting the metal from which Cyprus is traditionally understood to have taken its name.
The flag was officially adopted on 16 August 1960 and remains the national flag of the Republic of Cyprus. Cyprus was the first country to feature a map of its territory on its national flag, although Kosovo later adopted a similar feature.
Güney also designed the Republic’s coat of arms and the original Cyprus pound.
Dispute over payment
Decades after his design was adopted, Güney sought payment from the Republic of Cyprus.
According to reports in the Turkish Cypriot press, Güney claimed that Makarios had promised him £20 a year for designing the flag, but that he never received the money. In 2006, he sought payment as well as compensation for copyright use.
Güney hired a Greek Cypriot law firm to pursue the case and said he was prepared to take the matter to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.
He died of cancer on 23 June 2009, aged 85. His legacy remains closely linked to one of the Republic of Cyprus’ most recognisable national symbols.
Also read: When David Bowie sang “Cyprus is my island”
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