The United Nations has accepted to change the Republic of Turkey’s country name from “Turkey” to “Türkiye” on Thursday, June 2, following a request from Ankara for the change which has been working to rebrand the nation’s name since last winter.
On Wednesday, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the Turkish foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, had written to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, demanding that the term ‘Türkiye’ be used instead of Turkey in all matters.
According to Aljazeera, the UN recognized the name change as soon as the letter was received.
The change reflects President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s efforts to rename Turkey’s internationally recognized name to ‘Türkiye’ (tur-key-YAY).
After gaining independence in 1923, the country adopted the name ‘Türkiye.’
Mr. Erdogan ordered the use of ‘Türkiye’ to better represent Turkish culture and values in December, including demanding that “Made in Türkiye” be used on exported products instead of “Made in Turkey.”
In official documents, Turkish ministries have begun to use the word ‘Türkiye.’
Mr. Erdogan issued a circular noting that the decision intends to safeguard ideals inherent in the Turkish nation’s long history.
“The term Türkiye better symbolizes and expresses the Turkish nation’s culture, civilization, and values,” the circular stated.
“In this context, the word “Made in Türkiye” is now being used on our export items, which are the pride of our country in worldwide trade, instead of “Made in Turkey.”
The campaign was launched by the Turkish presidency’s communications office “to promote the use of ‘Türkiye’ as the country’s national and international name on international platforms more effectively.”
The decision is considered Ankara’s attempt to rebrand the country and distance itself from the popular Thanksgiving dinner bird, turkey, as well as other negative connotations linked with the word.