Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has sent a letter to the UN requesting that the name be changed on Wednesday, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency. The move is seen as part of Ankara’s campaign to rename the country, to avoid association with the turkey, and to expel some of the bad associations.
Last December President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordered that the word ‘Türkiye’ be used in official texts as it better reflects the “Turkish culture and heritage”. He authorized ‘Made in Türkiye’ to replace ‘Made in Turkey‘ on imported goods, as well as the use of ‘Türkiye’ in service documents.
Anadolu news agency said Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, had confirmed the letter was received Wednesday evening. The institute quoted Dujarric as saying that the name change had taken effect “since time” when the letter was received.
Turkey called itself ‘Türkiye’ in 1923 after its declaration of independence. TRT World’s English-language national broadcaster has officially changed to using ‘Türkiye’, although the term ‘Turkey’ comes from time to time from non-conventional presenters.
TRT World explained the decision in an article earlier this year, saying that Googling ‘Turkey’ brings a mixed collection of pictures, texts, and dictionary meanings that link the country with Meleagris – also known as turkey, the largest native bird of Turkey, North America – famous for serving Christmas menus or Thanksgiving meals.
TRT World argued that the Turkish people preferred their country to be called “Türkiye”, “in line with the country’s goals of determining how others should recognize it.” Earlier in 2022, the Turkish government released a promotional video as part of its efforts to change its status English word.
This video shows visitors from all over the world saying “Hello Türkiye” to some of the most famous landmarks in the world. The Communications Unit in the Turkish presidency has launched a campaign “to effectively promote the use of ‘Türkiye’ as a national and international name international forums. ”
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