The Finnish Air Force plans to remove swastikas from the flags of its units, said the new commander of the Karelia Air Wing, Colonel Tomi Böhm.
The reason for the plan is external pressure — the commander said the Air Force has faced awkward situations, for instance, when working with Americans.
"We could have continued with this flag, but sometimes awkward situations can arise with foreign visitors. It may be wise to live with the times," Böhm said.
According to Böhm, a flag reform is currently underway in the Air Force, during which the removal of swastikas is being considered. He said he has personally been involved in preparing the change.
The Air Force headquarters has already removed the swastika from use. Böhm cannot say when swastikas will be removed from the unit flags, but he hopes it will happen during his tenure as commander.
"The world has changed, and we live according to the times. There has been no political pressure to do this," he said.
The swastika emblem was adopted by the Air Force in 1918, long before the German Nazi Party adopted it in the 1930s. Its use is now illegal or restricted in Germany and many other countries. The Finnish Air Force used it on aircraft until 1945. The swastika was added to flags in the 1950s.
The swastika is generally condemned worldwide because it is mainly associated with the atrocities of Nazi Germany and modern hate groups. In Finland, discussion about the Air Force’s swastika has recently been in the spotlight due to the book Hakaristin historia (History of the Swastika) by professor of world politics Teivo Teivainen.
It was reported a few years ago that Finland's government may introduce legislation banning the swastika, as part of a proposal by a working group tasked with finding measures to tackle racism and discrimination in Finland.
