A little-known university in the small northwestern Turkish town of Kırklareli (population: just tens of thousands) has drawn international attention for an unusual reason – its official emblem bears a striking resemblance to the regional logo of Macau SAR, China. Despite the university's insistence that the design was independently created, the near-identical motifs have fueled ongoing speculation about potential "inspiration" between the two.
Side-by-Side: The "Twin" Emblems
Macau's emblem features a lotus (symbolizing peace), a bridge, and sea waves topped by five stars, representing its post-1999 handover identity. Kırklareli University's logo, adopted in 2008, mirrors these elements almost exactly – replacing the stars with a book and olive branches while retaining the lotus, arched structure, and wave patterns. At a glance, the two are nearly indistinguishable.
The University's Defense
The controversy first emerged in 2018 when sharp-eyed netizens spotted the similarity. The university clarified that its emblem was selected through a 2008 design competition (a year after its founding), with winner Abdullah K. asserting it was original. Officials cited a preemptive review by Turkey’s patent institute, which allegedly found no copyright issues.
An Unlikely "Coincidence"?
The parallels are puzzling given the contexts:
8,000 km apart: Macau, a cosmopolitan hub, and Kırklareli, a rural Turkish town, share no evident cultural ties.
Symbolic mismatch: The lotus holds no traditional significance in Turkish iconography, making its prominent use alongside bridge/wave motifs statistically improbable, according to design experts.
Timeline: Macau’s emblem debuted nearly a decade earlier (1999), raising questions about independent creation.
Legal Gray Areas
While government emblems typically enjoy protection under the Paris Convention, no legal action has been taken. Macau authorities have remained silent, and the distance between the regions has allowed the issue to fade – leaving the emblem still displayed at the university’s entrance as an unresolved design mystery.
Key Takeaways
Visual overlap: Core elements (lotus, arches, waves) are virtually identical despite no claimed connection.
Institutional stance: The university maintains procedural compliance but avoids addressing design influences.
Expert skepticism: The odds of such similarities arising organically are deemed "astronomically low."
(Sources: Turkish Patent Institute records, Macau SAR government archives. No formal disputes filed as of 2024.)
Source of the image on this page: trademarkmacau.com
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