• No more Turkey: Country changes its name to Türkiye; Here's how to pronounce it

    International
    No more Turkey: Country changes its name to Türkiye; Here's how to pronounce it

    The name "Turcus" comes from a Medieval Latin phrase. Its meaning is unknown, however, it is supposed to mean "strong." The Persian term "turk" can mean "a gorgeous kid," "a barbarian," or "a robber," according to the Online Etymology Dictionary.

    Digital Desk: Turkey has informed the United Nations that, at the request of its president, it prefers to be referred to as "Turkiye" in all languages from now on, the UN said on Thursday.

    "The change is immediate," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric in an email to AFP. Ankara's official letter seeking the adjustment was received at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Wednesday, he said.

    The Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavasoglu, had shared a photo of himself signing the letter on Wednesday, which had been submitted to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "We are registering our country's name as 'Turkiye' at the UN in various languages," he added, adding an umlaut above the "u."

    He further added that the change would put an end to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's strategy of "increasing the brand value of our nation," which he started about two decades ago.

    Notably, the government has attempted to change the labelling of its products from "made in Turkey" to "made in Turkiye" in recent years. The change would help distinguish the country from the bird of the same name in English, as well as reflect how the country is spelled in Turkish.

     Here is how to pronounce it: 

    The name "Turcus" comes from a Medieval Latin phrase. Its meaning is unknown, however, it is supposed to mean "strong." The Persian term "turk" can mean "a gorgeous kid," "a barbarian," or "a robber," according to the Online Etymology Dictionary.

    "Türkiye" is pronounced tur-key-YAY, while "Turkey" is pronounced tuh-kee.

    It may be mentioned that last year, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched a rebranding campaign, unhappy with the anglicised version of the phrase, which is widely used in Turkey and around the world. Erdogan said at the time, "Türkiye is recognised as our country's umbrella brand in national and international settings." He went on to say that "Türkiye is the truest portrayal and expression of Turkish culture, civilization, and principles."