Turkey applies for official name change to 'strengthen' country's brand, culture

The U.N. has approved world-regions from the Republic of Turkey to Türkiye as part of a rebranding effort. 

united-nations” target=”_blank”>U.N. Spokesperson<

Countries occasionally request name changes: in 2019, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia became the Republic of North Macedonia; in 2018, Swaziland became Eswatini. Changes often occur when a country seeks to have its name in its official name, such as when Ivory Coast changed to Cote d’Ivoire.

  • Turkey Erdogan President Image 1 of 3

    In this photo provided by Turkish Presidency, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, gives a speech to welcome the Russian, left, and Ukrainian delegations ahead of their talks, in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, March 29, 2022. (Turkish Presidency via AP)

  • Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Image 2 of 3

    Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses his party members, in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020.  (Turkish Presidency via AP, Pool)

  • Turkish Airlines aircraft are parked at the Ataturk International airport in Istanbul Image 3 of 3

    Turkish Airlines aircraft are parked at the Ataturk International airport in Istanbul, Turkey December 3, 2015. (Reuters/Murad Sezer)

“The letter was addressed to the U.N. to deal with the country’s official name within the organization,” Dujarric added, noting that Turkey may plan to use the name in other areas, but the U.N. would not have any input. 

TURKISH LEADER CLAIMS US BASES IN GREECE POSE DIRECT ‘THREAT’ AMID SPAT WITH ATHENS OVER NATO EXPANSION

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pushed for the change in December, arguing that the new name would better represent Turkish culture and values. The name could be used on exported products and on official documents. 

The nation’s Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun claimed in a tweet at the time of the name change that “another important step was taken to strengthen the Turkish brand.”

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.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Official government Twitter accounts have started using Türkiye. The change will help “promote more effectively the use of ‘Türkiye’ as the country’s national and international name on international platforms,” according to the Directorate of Communications.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Leave a Reply