Media Talks Country changing its name? Turkey changed to avoid confusion with British Christmas turkey 02/06/2022 18:20

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Turkey got a new name adopted by the UN (United Nations) following an official request from the government to the organization this week. The official name of the country since 31 May is Turkey, a nomenclature already used and known by the Turks, but which should be adopted by other nations from now on.

The change is part of a campaign rebranding It was proposed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in December last year. rebranding It is a marketing strategy used by companies that want to associate themselves with a different image or to get away from crises.

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In the case of Turkey, the reason for the change, state television TRT announced, was that the English name “Turkey” came to mean turkey, a traditional bird on western tables at holiday parties such as Christmas and Thanksgiving.

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Boredom isn’t just about the relationship with the Christmas turkey. TRT said the word also means “something flawed” or “stupid or stupid person,” according to the Cambridge English Dictionary.

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After the UN, other international organizations will be asked to change Turkey’s new name. In Portuguese, the nomenclature should not change as the focus is to distinguish country from the English word.

Peru suffers from a similar problem in Portuguese, which has the same name as the bird. But maybe you are not so worried because in other languages ​​most used in international communication, this word does not mean the same thing.

Publisher TRG switched to the spelling “Turkey” shortly after Erdogan launched his rebranding campaign. While the new name is already used by most Turks, the BBC stressed that it is common for many to use the western version to refer to the country.

Announcing his decision to change the name in December, Erdogan said, “Turkey is the best representation and expression of the culture, civilization and values ​​of the Turkish people.”

The UN said that as soon as it received the request from Ankara, Turkey changed its name to English, but the formalization took place on 31 May.

Foreign Minister on Twitter, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu had the opportunity to convey a nationalist message by sharing the moment of signing the document for the United Nations.

“The process we started to increase the brand value of our country under the leadership of President Erdoğan is coming to an end.

With the letter I sent to the UN Secretary General today, we are registering our country’s name in foreign languages ​​with the UN as ‘Turkey’.”

All products exported within the scope of Erdogan’s brand change will bear the phrase “Made in Turkey”. In January, a tourism campaign was launched with the slogan “Hello Turkey”.

The name change received a mixed reaction from the Turks. While many government officials support the transition, others say it’s an ineffective distraction as the president prepares for next year’s elections amid an economic crisis.

Although unusual, it is not uncommon for countries to change their name. In 2020 the Netherlands permanently abandoned the use of “Holland” internally and externally.

Before that, Macedonia became the Republic of North Macedonia in 2019. A year ago it became Eswatini, Africa, Swaziland.

In ancient history, Persia became Iran. Zion, Thailand today; and Rhodesia changed its name to Zimbabwe.

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New name and old practices against the press in Turkey

While President Recep Tayyip Erdogan uses modern marketing tactics to create a new name for Turkey, old practices are still used against the country’s press.

Last week, a new bill was submitted to the Parliament, which punishes the spread of “fake news” with up to three years in prison. it’s already happening to media professionals in Russia.

The ruling AKP party and the nationalist MHP party are responsible for the proposal, which seeks to criminalize the spread of “false information that could harm Turkey’s security” on digital platforms.

According to the text accessed by Bloomberg News, anyone who spreads “false information” about Turkey’s internal and external security, public order and welfare can be accused of creating “anxiety, fear and panic” in society.

The penalty can be increased from 1 ½ to 4 ½ years if the information is given or distributed by a person or a company trying to hide his identity.

The Journalists Union of Turkey criticized the proposed law and called for its immediate withdrawal:

“The bill will increase systematic censorship and self-censorship in Turkey instead of fighting disinformation,” he said.

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Ozgur Teach, Turkey representative of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), told Bloomberg that while countries around the world are enacting laws to combat disinformation, it is unclear how to define it in Turkey.

The bill will “restrict press freedoms, which are already problematic in Turkey,” he said.

In recent years, the Turkish government has already tightened its control over online content and digital platforms, while restricting official announcements and opposition-linked media.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index, Turkey ranks 149th out of 180 countriesHe said that 90% of the national media is under government control.

RSF accused Erdogan of “intensifying attacks on journalists to divert attention from economic and other problems” ahead of the 2023 elections.

The Turkish president also threatened to shut down some social media, citing what he saw as personal attacks on himself and his family.

Erdogan is a fierce critic of social media platforms, which he sees as a “threat to democracy” and a “national security issue”.

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source: Noticias

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