Frank Christian
The Euro 2024 tournament is scheduled from June 14 to July 14, with the spotlight on top national teams battling it out. The tournament now includes 24 qualifying countries every four years, introducing fresh faces to the European football stage.
Not new to the competition, Turkey is once again a potential dark horse in 2024. They qualified for the Round of 16 as runners-up in Group F, alongside Portugal, Georgia, and Czechia.
However, viewers might notice a change in how Turkey is referred to internationally during Euro 2024, with both Turkey and Turkiye being used, leading to potential confusion among soccer fans.
Understanding the Name Change
Turkey, like Czechia, has officially adopted a new name — Turkiye. The United Nations approved Turkey’s request for the change in 2022 to better represent the country as commonly used by Turkish citizens.
Despite the new name being accepted by UEFA for Euro 2024, English language media continues to use “Turkey” due to the absence of diacritics, specifically the accents in the native spelling Türkiye.
Pronouncing Turkiye
The shift to Turkiye means both Turkey and Turkiye will be used interchangeably during the tournament, with the newer version pronounced as “Tur-key-eh” compared to the traditional “Ter-key.”
Turkey’s History and Euro Records
Turkey, drawn in Group F at Euro 2024, made their first European Championship appearance in 1996 in England. They have qualified for five Euros since then, with their best performance reaching the semifinals in 2008.
| Year | Hosts | Record (W-D-L) | Stage reached |
| 1996 | England | 0-0-3 | Group Stage |
| 2000 | Belgium/Netherlands | 1-1-2 | Quarterfinals |
| 2008 | Austria/Switzerland | 2-1-2 | Semifinals |
| 2016 | France | 1-0-2 | Group Stage |
| 2020 | Europe | 0-0-3 | Group Stage |
