Why it's Turkiye and not Turkey after change leads to World Cup name difference

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Why it's Turkiye and not Turkey after change leads to World Cup name difference originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Turkiye is at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and their name has gathered attention.

This is the country that used to be known in sporting competition as Turkey, but no longer, and it's a subtle but important difference.

Here's more of what you need to know about the change.

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Why is it Turkiye and not Turkey?​

It's specifically Türkiye, which is pronounced as three syllables, and it has to do with cultural identity.

Türkiye is what the locals have used since their country was founded in 1923.

Now, the country has tried to align its name worldwide with how they know themselves.

There's also the obvious: a turkey is a bird. The country didn't want to be the same as the bird associated with Thanksgiving.

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The switch to Türkiye is meant to create a stronger national image.

It's much the same as what Czechia has done in rebranding on the world stage from the Czech Republic.

There's no reason for countries to identify as anything other than themselves, and that's what Türkiye is doing.

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