Last Updated on 20/04/2023
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan released a statement last December announcing the decision to change the country’s name globally. He declared the intention to replace the Word “Turkey” with “Turkiye.” This statement was officially published in the Official Gazette on December 4th, 2021. Yet, there is no exact information about the execution date of this reform.
Why “Turkiye” and not “Turkey”?
According to the Turkish president, the word “Turkiye” values better Turkish culture and history. It is a reference to the Turks, as he explained. Being the country’s name in the Turkish language, there is a willingness to promote it as a unique brand or label known globally.
Furthermore, in informal North American English, the Word “turkey” means something extremely unsuccessful. North Americans also use the word to designate a stupid person. In this context, the Turkish government expressed its disagreement to refer to the country’s name as a negative statement.
Once recognized internationally, “Turkiye” will be used in all international correspondences and activities. Yet, the government is negotiating with the UN about the letters “I” and “Ü” as they don’t exist in other Latin scripts. Besides, they are working on setting the logistics to replace the name on a global scale. Yet, domestically, the government has already started using the new name. In fact, the Ministry of foreign affairs changed its name to “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Republic of Turkiye.”
What reactions did “Turkiye” bring?
International attitude is still muted. However, local reactions are various and controversial. Some people cheer the government’s decision. They find it a wise initiative to promote better Turkish culture and origins. To them, it is a brave move to get the county recognized globally in a more accurate way. Others think it is good to delete the confusion with the bird’s name or any other English expression. They strongly believe that any dependent country doesn’t have to obey a foreign language rule while choosing its name. However, some opponents found it a useful distraction from the state’s serious issues.
Turkey’s position in the world?
Turkey’s prominence comes from its location between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It is also a modern Muslim country serving as a cultural link between the Western and Islamic worlds. Furthermore, the country plays a significant role in the energy distribution from the Middle East to Europe. Turkey has an important position in the region as a leader, and advocate for the improvement of Islamic and Western foreign policies.
Besides, Turkey is a rapidly modernizing country. It is pursuing economic and cultural integration with the rest of the globe. Furthermore, the country is developing its technology and entrepreneurialism to open up to the rest of the world. Thus, it creates an active market and generates economic power.
Turkey has a strategic role in the modern era. In fact, it has strong ties with all its neighbors, including Israel, Russia, and Arab countries. Furthermore, the country has been a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) since 1952.
Moreover, Turkey is the only secular Islamic country. Therefore, it gains legitimacy and importance as an economic, military, and political force. Indeed, the country provides a different model for the Islamic world in light of both transition and developing potential.
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