The crescent is often seen as a symbol of Islam. Why did Atatürk keep this flag?
The crescent moon actually started off without religious connotations and was simply the symbol of the Ottoman Empire. Over time, the Empires status as the preeminent Muslim country in the world (relative to the Europeans) caused the crescent moon to gain an association with the religion.
Check out /r/vexillology if you've got any more flag related questions
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