OFFICIALLY TURKEY CHANGED COUNTRY NAME.

 Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has publicly requested that his country be referred to as "Türkiye" in an effort to rebrand the country, according to state-run news agency Anadolu.

The new name will help the country separate itself from the turkey, a bird with some negative associations.  According to the Anadolu Agency, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric confirmed receipt of the letter late Wednesday.

Mr Dujarric was also quoted as adding that the name change took effect "the instant" the letter was received, according to the agency.  

The government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pushed for the internationally recognized name "Turkey" to be changed to "Türkiye" (toor-kee-yeh), which is spelled and spoken differently