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Hovik's corner: Turkish names on Armenian soil?
Hovik's corner: Turkish names on Armenian soil?
July 30, 2005
Although there may be a later statement by Google, I wish to inform our members and readers, that due to pressure put on Google by diasporan Armenians, last week they made a recent correction to their software "Google Earth" (a free, downloadable satellite mapping service) on which Armenia's largest lake was listed under a Turkish name.
The release of one of Googles most recent software spawned controversy last month when notice was taken that Armenia's Lake Sevan was labeled on the software as "Gokcha" a name used by Turks to refer to the lake. Although it may have been a mistake, many Armenians took great offense to the act. Lake Sevan has never been a location controlled by Turks under any circumstance, and they have seemingly little reason to call it anything other than its Armenian name. However, when one considers the Turkish ideal that caused the Armenian Genocide of a pan-Turkish state that connected Turkey to Azerbaijan (by eliminating Armenia and Armenians) and from there throughout Turkic nations in Central Asia, the motive may be easily found. In continuing to dream the impossible pan-Turkish ideal, it seems they have even renamed geographical sites in Armenia to names other than what they have always been called. Cultural Genocide is continuing to take place through actions such as these, and I surely hope that Google and "Google Earth" does not plan to be party to it.
I commend their recent actions in correcting the name to "Sevang" (at least closer to reality) but encourage the Google Earth Administration to pay closer attention to geographic reality in the future with respect to Armenia and its territory.
Hovik
July 30, 2005
Although there may be a later statement by Google, I wish to inform our members and readers, that due to pressure put on Google by diasporan Armenians, last week they made a recent correction to their software "Google Earth" (a free, downloadable satellite mapping service) on which Armenia's largest lake was listed under a Turkish name.
The release of one of Googles most recent software spawned controversy last month when notice was taken that Armenia's Lake Sevan was labeled on the software as "Gokcha" a name used by Turks to refer to the lake. Although it may have been a mistake, many Armenians took great offense to the act. Lake Sevan has never been a location controlled by Turks under any circumstance, and they have seemingly little reason to call it anything other than its Armenian name. However, when one considers the Turkish ideal that caused the Armenian Genocide of a pan-Turkish state that connected Turkey to Azerbaijan (by eliminating Armenia and Armenians) and from there throughout Turkic nations in Central Asia, the motive may be easily found. In continuing to dream the impossible pan-Turkish ideal, it seems they have even renamed geographical sites in Armenia to names other than what they have always been called. Cultural Genocide is continuing to take place through actions such as these, and I surely hope that Google and "Google Earth" does not plan to be party to it.
I commend their recent actions in correcting the name to "Sevang" (at least closer to reality) but encourage the Google Earth Administration to pay closer attention to geographic reality in the future with respect to Armenia and its territory.
Hovik
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