The plant shown on the left side of Turkmenistan’s flag below the crescent and stars is an olive branch.
Turkmenistan’s flag places a vertical red stripe near the hoist, decorated with five traditional carpet guls. At the lower part of that stripe are two crossed olive branches. The crescent and five stars appear in the green field beside the stripe, which is why the branch can be easy to overlook when reading the design from top to bottom.
The olive branches were added in 1997, after the United Nations recognized Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality in December 1995. They echo the olive branches used in the emblem of the United Nations and connect the flag with the country’s declared policy of neutrality and peace.
Another frequent mistake is calling the motif a laurel wreath or assuming it represents one of the country’s carpet tribes. The five carpet guls above the branches symbolize major Turkmen tribal traditions; the branches are a separate symbol. The flag’s current proportions and lighter green field date from a 2001 revision.