Ankara, June 2: Turkey has decided to change its name to Türkiye at the United Nations from now on, after the world body agreed to a formal request from Ankara, BBC reported on Thursday.
This is an effort at rebranding itself which was initiated by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan last year. Several international bodies will be asked to make the necessary name change, with the UN making the necessary changes as soon as it received the request from Turkey.
Erdogan had said in December last, “Türkiye is the best representation and expression of the Turkish people’s culture, civilization, and values”.
Turkey is the anglicised name of Turkiye, which is how most Turkish people know their country’s name.
State broadcaster TRT was quick to make the change as soon as it was announced last year, explaining that among the reasons for the image rebrand was the association with the bird traditionally associated with Christmas, New Year or Thanksgiving.
As part of the re-branding, “Made in Türkiye” will feature on all exported products, and in January a tourism campaign was launched with the catch-phrase “Hello Türkiye”.
The move has generated mixed reaction online. While government officials support it, others say it is an ineffective distraction as the president gears up for elections next year, amid an economic crisis.
