Rabat – The United Nations on Wednesday formally approved Turkey’s request to use “Türkiye” instead of “Turkey” at the international level amid constant international confusion between the country and the thanksgiving bird, called “hindi” in Turkish.
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Tuesday submitted an official letter to the United Nations and other international organizations calling for the Turkish rebranding.
“Together with our Directorate of Communications, we have been successful in preparing a good ground for this. We have made it possible for the UN and other international organizations, and countries to see this change to using ‘Türkiye’,” Cavusoglu told his country’s state-owned news outlet Anadolu Agency.
In December, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordered the use of Türkiye and the “Made in Türkiye” brand to “represent and express the culture, civilization, and values of the Turkish nation in the best way.”
Soon after his presidential decree, Turkish ministers, Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) adopted Türkiye in official reporting and documentation.
TRT World, Turkish state media, explained in late 2021 that the Turkish rebranding is related in a way to the confusion created between the name of the country and the thanksgiving bird also known as Turkey.
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“Type “Turkey” into Google, and you will get a muddled set of images, articles, and dictionary definitions that conflate the country with Meleagris – otherwise known as the turkey, a large bird native to North America – which is famous for being served on Christmas menus or Thanksgiving dinners,” TRT said.
Turkish media also noted that the word Turkey has an “unflattering” association. Citing the Cambridge Dictionary, TRT said that Turkey refers to “something that fails badly” or “a stupid or silly person.”
Turkish Airlines recently launched “Hello Türkiye” to popularize the new Turkish brand. More than 30 million people have seen the campaign, according to Cavusoglu.
However, this rebranding received mixed reactions on social media platforms with some commending the move and others considering it a distraction from the ongoing Turkish economic crisis ahead of the 2023 presidential elections.
