On Friday, January 6, the US State Department announced that it would no longer use the word “Turkey” for Turkey and instead use the spelling “Türkiye,” following Ankara’s request. We explain to you why such a change took place?
But why was Turkey so pushy to change their country’s name to English? Since Friday, January 6th the country separated between Europe and Asia is no longer called “Turkey” in the USA, but “Türkiye”, reports The Guardian. Henceforth it is the second nomenclature used on official American documents and at bilateral meetings. The UN had already done the same on May 26, 2022.
“The Department will use the spelling you saw today in most official diplomatic and bilateral situations, including public communications,” the U.S. State Department statement said.
Turkey: Turkey or Country?
There’s a funny reason behind this name change that doesn’t concern us French. For good reason, in Shakespeare’s language, The words turkey and turkey both say “Turkey”.. problem ? This namesake frankly displeases Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The Turkish President has therefore campaigned with great commitment for a solution beats from com and from advertising to separate the image of his country from that of Turkey, Franceinfo specifies. As early as January 2022, the communications department of the Turkish Council Presidency published a clip about tourists on vacation in Turkey, which was repeated in chorus “Hello Turkiye”. Specifically, this video is broadcast on Turkish Airlines aircraft.
ego problem?
The international country nomenclature is a important issue on the part of Ankara and especially for the nationalists. “Perhaps one of the greatest merits for our country is the determination and trust in him that we won him,” said the Turkish president in a press statement picked up by Franceinfo. The official change of our country’s name from Turkey to Türkiye on the international stage is one of the symbols of this new period.”
In the face of Erdoğan’s call, other countries have taken the plunge. The websites of the embassies in Ankara of Australia, Canada, India and New Zealand also write “Türkiye”, reports BFM TV, while the British, Irish and South African embassies still use “Turkey”.