Türkiye began being used officially by the Turkish government in December 2021, and the name was recognized by the UN in June 2022. In practice, the country has called itself Türkiye in Turkish since 1923.

Quick scoop

  • December 2021: Turkey requested the international name change.
  • June 2022: The United Nations accepted Türkiye as the country’s name.
  • Since 1923: The Turkish-language name has been Türkiye.

Why it changed

The government said the move better reflected the country’s identity and reduced confusion with the English word “turkey” for the bird.

TL;DR: Internationally, the shift from “Turkey” to “Türkiye” happened in 2022 , after a request made in late 2021.