Turkey has applied to the United Nations asking to be formally known as Turkiye, in a move which its leadership says will better represent Turkish culture and values. A letter has been sent by foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and it is being reported that the UN has accepted the country's request.
It is understood to be part of ongoing efforts by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government in Ankara to rebrand the nation on the international stage. Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency has said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, confirmed receipt of the letter on Wednesday (June 1).
The agency added that the UN spokesman had said that the change had become effective "from the moment" the letter was received. It means that Turkey will now be officially be referred to as Turkiye - pronounced tur-key-YAY - which is how it its spelled and pronounced in Turkish.
