CULTURAL GENOCIDE, TURKISH PLACE-NAMES AND THEIR FUTURE

A careful exploration of the lands and place-names is necessary in order to understand the history, culture and language of a dynasty. When tracing back the roots of a nation, history of the language and all the proper names play a particularly important role.

Names of every surface feature -stream, lake, mountain, regions- bring to light a millennium of the nation’s history. In short, proper names comprise the book of a nation’s past and future. The more you read the book, the more you can find out sound information about the present and the past. Hydronims, oronims, etnonims ye urbanonims that reflect the very identity of peoples are created and preserved in their mother tongue.

Historical sources make it evident that districts, such as, Goyche, Zengezur, Vedi, Erivan, and so on, have been the ancestral and eternal lands of Azerbaijan.

A thorough examination of the geographical names of these lands will reveal once again that they are the habitat of the Turks. Turkish place-names of West Azerbaijan, today’s Armenia, have not yet been investigated.

It is a historical fact that until the beginning of the 19th century, most of the place-names in Armenia were of Turkish origin. In his Population of Soviet Armenia, published in 1932, Z.Korkodyan reports that in the 19th and early 20th centuries, about 2000 cites of the total 2310 were of Turkish origin. After the annexation of Azerbaijan by Russia following 1828 Turkmenchay Agree some of the Armenians emigrated from Turkey and Iran allocated in the Turkish villages in West Azerbaijan u provocations by the Russian Empire. At approximately the s time, Azerbaijani Turks were expelled from their ancestral Ia Their historical monuments were destroyed, and place-na were changed.

The existing Armenian name changing policy was added a parameter after the revolution. Names of hundreds of villa were changed into artificially produced Armenian ones by offl decrees. This officially approved operation of name changing enacted in 1935, and the Azerbaijani Turks were expelled f their lands. Villages were partially banned from being r they were ruined. These evacuated villages used to be the having marks of deep-rooted Turkish history. They important solid evidence suggesting the evil aspirations of Armenians. Here are some examples:

In the region of Zengibasar; Hesen Agha, Garachalar,Ozanlar, Dircan (Tercan) and so forth,
in the region of Gernibasar; Mesimli, Bayrameli, Imamverdi Galasi and so on
in the region of Vedibasar; Saray, Shorsu, Hesen Qala, Gunluk, Gizilveren, Qazanchi and so forth,
In the region of Talin; Narinhanli, Sutokulen,Chichekli, Chaltepe, Goyerchin and so forth,
In the region of Serdarabad; Itgoy, Gechili and so forth,
in the region of Abaran; Tezharab, Shabanli, Porsuqlu, Eyribulag and so forth,
in the region of Dereçiçek; Elipapak, Gonaggormez, Emirli,Eshshek Guduran, c-Choban Golu, Zeynelagha and so forth,
In the region of Goyche; Bughdatepe, Uctepe, Aghrica,Allahverdi Bey, Aghsag Tauz and so forth,
in the region of Dereleyez; Kelyatachi, Boyadere, Bogachik, Qulu Baghi and so forth, have been the victims of cultural genocide.

The names of Turkish tribes that let the racial heredity of Azerbaijani people simmer over centuries are reflected in place-names in West Azerbaijan (today’s Armenia). This is, in a big way, a reconfirmation of the fact that Azerbaijanis are the everlasting inhabitants of this land. For example, Ayrim (Noyenberyan), Polad Ayrim (Icevan), Gachaghan (Spitak), Gecalan (Afan), Ayshar (Vedi), Garli (Vardenis), Gipchag (Artik) and so on, clearly verify what has just been mentioned.

In Armenia, a former Turkish land, a linguistic genocide against Turks was in effect first. Geographical names having a long history were changed systematically. This evil aim was reached in different ways:

1. Some geographical names of Azerbaijani origin were translated word for word into Armenian:(1946),

Aghbulaq : Lusahpyur (Spitak Region, April 26, 1946),
Almali : Hndzorut (Ezizbeyov Region, November,
Karadash : Sevkar (Icevan Region),
Gara Gala : Sevaberd (Abovyan Region, June 21, 1948),
Dashgala : Karaberd (Ani Region, February 3, 1947) and so forth.

2. In order to look sympathetic to the Armenian friends, some of the historical- geographical names of Turkish origin were given new names in Azerbaijani Turkish non-arbitrarily under the pretext that they were the legacy from the Old Period.

Aysesi: Gizilgul(Yegheknadzor Region,September 10, 1946)
Boyuk Garaqoyunlu: Ezizli (Basarkecher Region,January 3, 1935),
Bulaqli: Hebilikend (Masis Region),
Garachanta: Ezizbeyov (Amasia Region, May 4, 1939).
Itqiran; Gulustan (Ezizbeyov Region, January 3, 1935),
Kerkibash: Shefeg (Basarkecher Region, May 25, 1967) and so forth.

3.Some geographical names of Azerbaijani origin were structurally distorted to lose their Turkish nature by partial deletion, thereby being turned into vague forms having no ethimological origion.

Alachig Gaya; Alacig (Town Of Dilijan),
Bash Gemli, Gerni (Abovyan Region, January 3, 1935),
Boyuk Vedi; Vedi (Ararat Region, April 4, 1946),
Eller Oyughu; Eller (Amasia Region),
Polad Ayrim; Polad (Icevan Region) and so forth.

4. Some historic geographical names reflecting the origins of Azerbaijani people were Armenianized completely.

Ayrim: Pthazan (Noyemberyan Region),
Arazdeyen; Yerash (Ararat Region, August 3, 1948),
Bayandur; Vagatur (Gorus Region, May 7, 1969),
Basarkecher; Vardenis (Basarkecher Region, June 2, 1969),
Gazanchi; Meghrashen (Artik Region, May 31, 1946),
Gachaghan; Lernevan (Spitak Region, April 26, 1946),
Gipchaq; Arich (Artik Region, June 31, 1946) and so forth.