Turkey is now officially known as Türkiye after the decision to change its name made by the initiative of the President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
From now on, Türkiye is the only name that has been recognised by the United Nations and all other international organisations and foreign missions.
The President, Mr Erdoğan, said for BBC: “Türkiye is the best representation and expression of the Turkish people’s culture, civilisation, and values”. This name is taken from the official name in Turkish –Türkiye Cumhuriyeti (Republic of Türkiye). However, the new name of the country in the crossroads between Europe and Asia came into official use, but the old one still exists as it is not that easy to get public acceptance and knowledge.
Not only does the country’s previous name mean a bird that is usually cooked for Thanksgiving in America, but also saying to someone that is a ‘turkey’ has the offensive meaning of being stupid. With nothing to hide, Turkish officials pointed out these meanings as one of the main reasons to force the name change.