Animal name changes in Turkey

The animal name changes in Turkey is the revision of taxonomic nomenclature of three subspecies by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (Turkey), Turkish Ministry of Environment and Forestry. The name changes removed references to Armenia and Kurdistan in the Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic nomenclature of subspecies of each animal.La Recherche Numéros 393 à 398 Société d'éditions scientifiques (Paris, France) - 2006 - Page 96 "Ovis Armeniana devient Ovis Orientalis Anatolicus, Capreolus Capreolus Armenius se transforme en Capreolus Caprelus Capreolus, et Vulpes Vulpes Kurdistanicum, le renard roux du Kurdistan, s'appelle désormais en Turquie Vulpes ..." "The Ovis Armeniana (wild sheep) is now the Ovis Orientalis Anatolicus, while the roe deer, formerly known as Capreolus Capreolus Armenus, has become Capreolus Cuprelus Capreolus. These previous names have disappeared thanks to ..."

History and reaction

The declared taxonomic nomenclature for the three subspecies is effective for the Turkish Environment and Forestry Ministry. According to a statement released by the same ministry on March 4, 2005, the original names were divisive and contradicted "Turkish unity".

Some Turkish officials have said that the original taxonomic nomenclature was intended in bad faith to imply that Armenians and Kurds resided in the areas where the animals lived. However, only the scientific names of the animals were changed.

Andrew Polaszek, the executive secretary of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, the organization responsible for establishing species naming conventions, has said in an interview that acceptance of the revised names would depend upon article publications in scientific journals, but that they were otherwise acceptable from a scientific viewpoint.

Revised taxonomic nomenclature

These changes currently affect only official taxonomic nomenclature usage by the Turkish Government.

See also

*International Code of Zoological Nomenclature
*Place name changes in Turkey
*Turkification
*Turkish nationalism

References

{{Turkish nationalism

Fauna of Turkey
Fauna of Europe
Anti-Armenianism in Turkey
Anti-Kurdish sentiment
Environment of Turkey
Linguistic purism
Turkish language
Turkish nationalism
Society of Turkey
Xenophobia
Zoological nomenclature