In recent news, six individuals in Tunisia received a four-month prison sentence for mistakenly raising the Turkish flag instead of the national Tunisian flag over a government building. The incident was captured in online videos showing the Turkish flag flying at the headquarters of the national railway company SNCFT in Tunis. Both flags share similar red-and-white colors and Islamic symbols of a star and crescent, with the main difference being a white circle on the Tunisian flag.
SNCFT issued an apology, explaining that the Turkish flag was bought in error and raised unintentionally. This event follows a previous incident where three sports officials were arrested for covering the national flag during a sporting event in Tunis due to World Anti-Doping Agency sanctions. The officials were charged with offenses related to disrespecting the flag of Tunisia and threatening internal security, resulting in a three-month sentence before their recent release.
The Tunisian President, Kais Saied, expressed his displeasure over the flag mix-up incidents, especially as he prepares for the upcoming election. Photos from the sporting event incident in May showed President Kais visibly upset during a visit to the venue.