At UN, country’s internationally recognized name changed from Turkey to Türkiye, says president

At the United Nations, the country's internationally recognized name has been changed from Turkey to Türkiye, said the Turkish president on Monday.

After chairing a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that under the official change, from now on all Turkish state institutions are using the name Türkiye in their correspondence.

He underlined that Türkiye is an independent country that can determine and implement its own political and security priorities.

"Turkiye is a country that is able to develop its own social policies and practice them as a strong country," said Erdoğan.

The shift to "Türkiye" at the UN comes in line with a request by Ankara, the UN announced on June 1.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres got a letter from Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu requesting the use of "Türkiye" instead of "Turkey."

The move is meant to cement Türkiye's brand name on the international stage and also more accurately reflect its heritage, according to officials.

ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE

On the ongoing climate crisis, Erdoğan said Türkiye treats "green development" seriously, taking all necessary steps to support growth in line with environmental priorities.

"Our goals for 2053 constitute, at its core, our activities to fight against climate change," he said, adding Türkiye has been investing more and more in renewable energy.

Erdoğan further said actions have been taken to support clean technologies that will reduce industrial emissions. Türkiye is also prioritizing clean transportation with investments in railways and sea routes.

The president also said Türkiye, with its Zero Waste Project which is spearheaded by first lady Emine Erdoğan, targets 60% recycling rate.

Expanding forest areas is another priority for Türkiye, Erdoğan said, adding: "Thus we will ensure carbon stability.

"From our universities to our research centers, we have been mobilizing all our means for the green mobilization movement in line with science and technology."