One of the first actions of Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 2019 will be to choose the new symbol of Turkey to replace the long-standing tulip, the emblematic flower of the Ottoman Empire.

The ministry announced last month an advertisement tender to promote the country's tourism abroad and rebrand Turkey. They announced on their website that interested parties need to submit their bids to the Turkish authorities by Jan. 4, 2019, and the tender will start Jan. 8.

Ministry of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Ersoy told the local press that new branding identity, which will include a new slogan and logo, is to be designed and expected to be in full effect by January 2020.

Turkey has been using the logo with the tulip since 2001 — a year before the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power. In 2014, Turkey’s Ministry of Tourism and Culture launched the Turkey Home branding campaign, designed to associate Turkey with the concept of a “home” that has hosted many identities, cultures and civilizations throughout history. The campaign did not change the tulip-shaped logo.