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Turkey, Singapore announce Ramadan 2026 start date on February 19
The two countries have deemed it impossible to spot the crescent on Tuesday, February 17
- PUBLISHED: Thu 12 Feb 2026, 3:12 PM
As we near Ramadan, more countries are announcing the official start date of the holy month, relying on astronomical techniques to calculate the date.
The months of the Hijri calendar are determined by the phases of the moon, with the moon sighting determining the start date of each month. While some countries in the Muslim world rely on the actual moon sighting — whether through the naked eye or using telescopes — some rely on astronomical calculations to predict the moon's position and phase.
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The Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs has indicated that sighting the crescent moon is not possible on Tuesday, February 17, from any location in the Arab and Islamic world, nor even from the American continents. This is significant because Turkey's calculations take into consideration these regions specifically cause they experience night at the same as Turkey.
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This implies that moon will be sighted on Wednesday, and that Ramadan will begin on Thursday, February 19.
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, which is chaired by Singapore's Mufti has made a similar announcement, saying that it is impossible for the crescent to be sighted on Tuesday and that Ramadan will begin on Thursday, February 19.
The two countries join Oman, which made the announcement yesterday that February 19 would mark the first day of the holy month in the Gulf country.
