The United States has changed the spelling of its NATO partner from Turkey to Türkiye, the State Department acknowledged on Thursday.
The State Department will begin writing Turkey as “Türkiye” in official and diplomatic contexts, NPR reported.
According to State Department spokesman Ned Price, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names granted the name change in response to a request by the Turkish embassy.
The newest government organization to implement the spelling change is the State Department, which is in charge of managing American foreign affairs.
In an effort to distinguish Turkey from the North American bird of the same name, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s administration had months earlier urged nations and international organizations to embrace the name change, Euronews reports.
Additionally, Thursday’s declaration comes in advance of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s significant visit later this month.
Since the Ottoman Empire’s fall and the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923, Turks have referred to their nation as Türkiye.
By beginning a global rebranding effort in 2021, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan advocated for the name. He urged the rest of the globe to adopt the country’s authentic name rather than the anglicized one.
“Türkiye is the best representation and expression of the Turkish people’s culture, civilization, and values,” he said at the time, per NPR.
Erdogan’s administration aspires to improve Türkiye’s standing as a tourist destination, which would help the nation’s economy.
