Turkey Vs. Türkiye Timeline: from Erdogan’s 2021 Decree to the 2026 Nations League
By Elena Rostova
The transformation became official policy on December 3, 2021. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan published an executive circular in the nation's Official Gazette directing state institutions, private businesses, and civil society groups to use "Türkiye" across all foreign-language communications.
The presidential decree framed the measure as an act of cultural sovereignty. Domestically, the nation had referred to itself as Türkiye since declaring independence in 1923, following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Yet international records, treaty documents, and trade registries persisted with the anglicized "Turkey," the French "Turquie," or the German "Türkei."
Ankara's communications directorate openly acknowledged the irritation caused by the English homonym. The Cambridge English Dictionary defined the lowercase "turkey" not only as a large North American gallinaceous bird, but also colloquially as "something that fails badly" or "a stupid or silly person." Turkish officials viewed the centuries-old linguistic accident as an antiquated indignity. The decree declared that Türkiye "represents and expresses the culture, civilization, and values of the Turkish nation in the best way."
The move went beyond emotional rhetoric. It coincided with a mandatory rebranding of the country's export market. State agencies prohibited manufacturers from stamping products with the historic "Made in Turkey" label, enforcing "Made in Türkiye" across industrial parts, textiles, and consumer electronics bound for ports in Europe, Africa, and North America.
Elena Rostova holds a Master's degree in Public Health Journalism. She covers groundbreaking medical research, holistic wellness trends, mental health awareness, and nutritional science.
