"Turkey" in English, and in international diplomatic practice, is Turkey's international name. But "Turkey" in English is also the name given to the turkey, the friendly ornithopteran member of the pheasant family, which is a fine delicacy. Who knows what puns are being launched and what misunderstandings may arise, especially as Christmas approaches. Besides, Turkey probably prefers to distance itself from Western traditions.
So according to the state-run Anadolu news agency, the Turkish government has sent an official letter to the United Nations and other international organizations asking them to change the country's English-language name used in diplomatic contacts.
Practical difficulties in establishing the new name
The truth is that Turkey is neither the first nor the only country to change its official name on its own initiative. Years ago, the Netherlands officially announced that it would no longer be called "The Netherlands" but "The Netherlands", as its official name in Dutch ("Niederlande") suggests. Since then, in official international contacts, the British call it "The Netherlands" and the Germans "Die Niederlande", but colloquially the old name is retained. In the case of Turkey, however, there is another practical difficulty, as the author of the Stuttgarter Zeitung points out: how can the international community accept the name "Türkiye", since in most countries, and therefore on most keyboards, there is not even the character "ü"? Not to mention that Turkey's insistence on changing its name may awaken similar desires in other countries. Take India, for example, which is called "Hindistan" in Turkish. Which means: "The land of the turkey!"
Source: Deutsche Welle
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs Cyprus Times
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Source[/URL]
