The Middle Eastern country officially changed its name in December to Türkiye (when the English spelling is used). The decision was made to better reflect the culture and traditions of the country.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a circular in early December making the change to preserve the values that come from the deep-rooted history of the Turkish nation, TRT World reported.

“The phrase Türkiye represents and expresses the culture, civilization and values of the Turkish nation in the best way”, - the circular says. “In this context, the phrase “Made in Türkiye” is now being used instead of “Made in Turkey” on our export products, which are the pride of our country in international trade”.

The circular said the change reflects thousands of years of experience. The English word means land of the Turks, and the phrase Türkiye dates back to the 14th century.