THE TURKISH Cypriot designer of the Republic of Cyprus flag died on Tuesday at the age of 77, after losing a battle against cancer.

Ismet Vehit Guney was a teacher, a prominent cartoonist and painter. Born in 1932 in Limassol, he was the first Turkish Cypriot painter to open an solo exhibition in 1947. In 1960, he designed the flag for the Republic of Cyprus, its emblem and the Cyprus lira.

Guney’s designed flag was adopted on August 16, 1960. It features a map of the island, with two olive branches underneath as a symbol of peace on a white background. Cyprus is the only country to display its map on its official flag.

The flag of Cyprus was selected by Archbishop Makarios after Guney submitted his proposal along with a message from then Vice President Fazil Kucuk. Both the Greek blue and Turkish red were avoided at the time.

The Cyprus flag is only used by Greek Cypriots. A new flag was designed under the terms of the Annan Plan, which was rejected in 2004. Unlike the current official flag, that version consciously incorporated colours representing Greece and Turkey.

In 2006, Guney sought payment from the government for his design plus compensation for copyright use, 46 years after Makarios chose his design to represent the new Republic.

Turkish Cypriot press reports claimed that Guney was promised £20 a year by Makarios for designing the flag but he was never paid.

The reports said Guney had hired a Greek Cypriot law firm to push his case, adding that he was prepared to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.