Turkish people often have two names to balance traditional, religious, or familial naming customs with modern, secular, or personal preferences. Commonly, one name is religious (often Arabic) and the other is Turkish, or a second name is chosen to honor a grandparent while using a modern first name, providing a "belly name" (göbek adı).
According to the state-run TRT World, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu sent letters to the UN and other international organisations on 31 May 2022, requesting that they use Türkiye. The UN agreed and implemented the name change.
Until the introduction of the Surname Law in 1934, most Turks had no surnames. Before that, male Turks often used their father's name followed by -oğlu ("son of"), or a nickname of the family, before their given name (e.g. Mustafa-oğlu Mehmet, Köselerin Hasan).
A double name can be formed when marrying or having children, combining the surnames of the parents. Double names can be combined by taking one part of each. Either spouse or both can take a double name. Based on a family's foreign name tradition, children can also get surnames based on a grandparent's surname.
Not as many people will know this, but the tradition of double names in the South has been around for awhile. The tradition apparently evolved from the practice of European families in the 18th century to give their children multiple names to showcase their upper class status.
For partners, you'll hear “sevgilim” (my darling) or “aşkım” (my love). Words like “canım” (my dear, my life/heart/soul) or “kuzum” (my lamb) extend to friends and children, and couples often use playful words like “bebişim” (my baby) or “aşkitom” (my love).
Kurds make up about 20% of Turkey's population – around 15 to 20 million people. But until the early 1990s, it was illegal in Turkey to use Kurdish in public. Turkey went even further by banning several letters of the alphabet – X, W and Q – because they are associated with the Kurdish language.
Did you know that Iran and Turkey are not Arab countries and their primary languages are Farsi and Turkish respectively? Arab countries have a rich diversity of ethnic, linguistic, and religious communities. These include Kurds, Armenians, Berbers and others. There are over 300 million Arabs.
This is a short dive into the origin of the English name for “turkey,” the bird, its link with the country formerly known as Turkey (McKernan, 2022), and the strange way this bird is referred to by names of diverse countries in different languages.
Derived from the Arabic word hamida, meaning to praise, the name Mohammed carries the connotation of being highly esteemed or praised. It holds a central position in Islamic culture due to its association with the prophet Mohammed, who is revered as the final messenger of God in the Islamic faith.
No, wearing a hijab (headscarf) is not required for women in Turkey. In most areas, especially in cities and tourist hubs like Fethiye, you'll notice a mix of modern and traditional attire.
Türkiye has strict laws protecting personal honor and dignity. Under the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), public insults, humiliation, or offensive remarks based on religion, nationality, or personal characteristics can lead to administrative penalties or criminal charges.
Don't make any derogatory comments about the Turkish Flag, or Kemal Atatürk, the Turkish Republic's Founding Father or in fact anything else about Turkey. It is obviously impolite and disrespectful! Don't stand with your hands on your hips or in your pockets. Don't point at someone with your finger.
Lord Devon is of the family of Courtenay, said by Gibbon to bear the oldest surname in Europe. According to 'The Teutonic Name-system, Applied to the Family Names of France, England and Germany' by Robert Ferguson — January 1, 1864, the oldest surname on record is HATT.
There is no law requiring a person to have a surname in the U.K., even if most people do have a surname. Neither is there any law requiring a person to have a first name. Although all births must be registered, the law does not require a first name to be given.
