Tunisia Arrests Four After State Firm Flies Turkey Flag in Error

(Bloomberg) -- Tunisian authorities arrested four people after the state railway company mistakenly flew the Turkish flag instead of the national one, as efforts are stepped up to enforce ultra-patriotic fervor ahead of October elections.

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A fifth individual is being questioned as investigations continue into the mix-up that occurred Tuesday in the capital, Tunis, local broadcaster Mosaique FM reported, citing a court spokesman. It wasn’t clear of what crime they are being accused.

Images of the error at a building used by railway monopoly SNCFT spread widely on social media. The events prompted a profuse apology from the company, which said a “foreign flag” had slipped into a batch of new Tunisian ones it had bought.

“Raising the national flag represents a noble symbol of sovereignty and national unity and any behavior that violates this symbolism cannot be tolerated under any circumstances,” it said.

Tunisia’s standard has sparked drama before. A visibly upset President Kais Saied in May unleashed a verbal tirade on TV and ordered the disbanding of the national swimming association after discovering the flag wasn’t properly displayed at a sports competition.

Saied is accused of stifling dissent and fanning nationalism in the economically troubled North African country. He’s widely expected to win a second term in the Oct. 6 vote.

--With assistance from Thomas Hall.

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