Turkey officially changes its name at UN to ‘Turkiye’

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has been pressing for the internationally recognized name to be changed to ‘Türkiye’ (tur-key-yay) as it is spelled and pronounced in Turkish.

In December, Erdogan ordered the name change to better represent Turkish culture and values, including demanding that ‘Made in Türkiye’ be used instead of ‘Made in Turkey’ on exported products. Turkish ministries began using “Türkiye” in official documents. It is also a name the country called itself when it gained independence in 1923.

Say ‘Hello Türkiye’

Earlier this year, the government also released a promotional video as part of its attempts to change its name in English. The video shows tourists from across the world saying ‘Hello Türkiye’ at famous destinations.

The Turkish presidency’s directorate of communications said it launched the campaign “to promote more effectively the use of ‘Türkiye’ as the country’s national and international name on international platforms.”