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Turkey renames 'divisive' animals
BBC
Tuesday, 8 March, 2005, 10:41 GMT
Even animal names can become contentious in politics
Turkey has said it is changing the names of three animals found on
its territory to remove references to Kurdistan or Armenia. The
environment ministry says the Latin names of the red fox, the wild
sheep and the roe deer will be altered.
The red fox for instance, known as Vulpes Vulpes Kurdistanica, will
now be known as Vulpes Vulpes.
Turkey has uneasy relations with neighbouring Armenia and opposes
Kurdish separatists in Turkey.
The ministry said the old names were contrary to Turkish unity.
"Unfortunately there are many other species in Turkey which were
named this way with ill intentions. This ill intent is so obvious
that even species only found in our country were given names against
Turkey's unity," a ministry statement quoted by Reuters news agency
said.
Some Turkish officials say the names are being used to argue that
Armenians or Kurds had lived in the areas where the animals were
found.
Red fox known as Vulpes Vulpes Kurdistanica becomes Vulpes Vulpes
Wild sheep called Ovis Armeniana becomes Ovis Orientalis Anatolicus
Roe deer known as Capreolus Capreolus Armenus becomes Capreolus
Cuprelus Capreolus
Turkey has tense ties with its eastern neighbour Armenia, which it
does not officially recognise.
Armenians accuse Turkey of genocide, saying 1.5 million of their
people died or were deported from their homelands under Turkish
Ottoman rule.
Turkey denies the genocide and says the death count is inflated.
For the last two decades, Turkey has also been fighting Kurdish
separatists, who have sought an independent state in Turkey's
south-east.
BBC
Tuesday, 8 March, 2005, 10:41 GMT
Even animal names can become contentious in politics
Turkey has said it is changing the names of three animals found on
its territory to remove references to Kurdistan or Armenia. The
environment ministry says the Latin names of the red fox, the wild
sheep and the roe deer will be altered.
The red fox for instance, known as Vulpes Vulpes Kurdistanica, will
now be known as Vulpes Vulpes.
Turkey has uneasy relations with neighbouring Armenia and opposes
Kurdish separatists in Turkey.
The ministry said the old names were contrary to Turkish unity.
"Unfortunately there are many other species in Turkey which were
named this way with ill intentions. This ill intent is so obvious
that even species only found in our country were given names against
Turkey's unity," a ministry statement quoted by Reuters news agency
said.
Some Turkish officials say the names are being used to argue that
Armenians or Kurds had lived in the areas where the animals were
found.
Red fox known as Vulpes Vulpes Kurdistanica becomes Vulpes Vulpes
Wild sheep called Ovis Armeniana becomes Ovis Orientalis Anatolicus
Roe deer known as Capreolus Capreolus Armenus becomes Capreolus
Cuprelus Capreolus
Turkey has tense ties with its eastern neighbour Armenia, which it
does not officially recognise.
Armenians accuse Turkey of genocide, saying 1.5 million of their
people died or were deported from their homelands under Turkish
Ottoman rule.
Turkey denies the genocide and says the death count is inflated.
For the last two decades, Turkey has also been fighting Kurdish
separatists, who have sought an independent state in Turkey's
south-east.