The country, now known as Türkiye internationally, is opting for the adjustment to avoid confusion with the English word “turkey”. The change will affect how other nations and peoples refer to the country and how exported goods are labeled.
For international trade, everything made in the country will now be “Made in Türkiye”.
The Turkish government has already changed its name, with its Ministry of Foreign Affairs now known as the “Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye”.
A new campaign, called “Hello Türkiye”, is already underway on social networks.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announcing the decision in a statement, said: “The word Türkiye best represents and expresses the culture, civilization and values of the Turkish nation.”
The president is in talks with the United Nations to formalize the name change globally.
The UN must authorize the adoption of the new name before it enters into force at the international level.
Some senior Turkish officials have raised concerns that swapping the letter “Ü”, which is not in the nominal Latin alphabet, could complicate its approval.
Those who praised the move called it a representation of “the culture, civilization and values of the Turkish nation in the best way”, while others denounced it as a political distraction from domestic unrest.
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The name change took place in 1935 when the ruler decided that the country should be named as it was known within its borders, and not as a label imposed from outside.
A similar principle applies to the new name of Türkiye, which is the Turkish spelling of the nation.
Additional reporting Maria Ortega.
