Turkey and Singapore have officially announced that Thursday, February 19, 2026, will mark the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Both countries used astronomical calculations, rather than requiring an actual sighting of the crescent moon, to determine the start of the lunar month. Their respective religious authorities found that the crescent would not be visible on Tuesday, February 17, so they set the beginning of Ramadan for February 19. This method is based on scientific data about the moon’s position and visibility, and it is also similar to the approach taken by Oman, which recently made the same declaration.
In Turkey, the Presidency of Religious Affairs emphasizes calculations that consider whether the crescent could be seen anywhere across regions sharing night-time with Turkey. Singapore’s Islamic Religious Council, led by the Mufti of Singapore, also followed local visibility criteria and found sighting impossible on the earlier date, leading to the February 19 start. With these decisions, Muslims in both nations now have clarity on when to begin fasting and observing Ramadan rituals this year.
