Armenian minister denounces Turkish move to rename animals
Arminfo
7 Mar 05
Yerevan, 7 March: The “correction” of the Latin names of wild animals
by the Turkish authorities is nothing but political games, Armenian
Ecology Minister Vardan Ayvazyan has told an Arminfo correspondent
commenting on the Turkish environment and forestry minister’s edict on
renaming a number of species of the native fauna related to Kurdistan
and Armenia.
In particular, under the decision of the Turkish authorities, a red
fox known as Vulpes Vulpes Kurdistanica will be known now as just
Vulpes Vulpes. A species of wild sheep called Ovis Armeniana has
been changed to Ovis Orientalis Anatolicus. A type of deer known as
Capreolus Capreolus Armenus was renamed Capreolus Cuprelus Capreolus,
the Turkish media reported.
The director of Turkish National Parks and Wildlife, Prof [Mustafa]
Kemal Yalinkilic, said that these wild animals “have been renamed in
the interest of the country”, the Turkish media reported.
“At present strange games are being played against our country. Some
people are using the names of species of our fauna in order to stress
that Kurds and Armenians used to live here. By changing the names of
these species we will put an end to these games,” the professor said.
Commenting on this statement, Vardan Ayvazyan stressed that political
problems cannot be resolved through a struggle against Latin names.
“How the Turks will call sheep is their own business, but it will
remain as Ovis Armeniana on the international list of endangered
species,” Ayvazyan said, adding that “strange games” have been played
by the Turks themselves for the past five centuries.