The ongoing construction of “Great Turan”/”Turkestan” is in full swing. The concept has entered a new phase with the launch of the Turkic Toponyms of the World project. This initiative is designed to “conduct comprehensive research on geographical names across Turkic regions, based on the fact that place names serve as linguistic passports reflecting the history and identity of the peoples inhabiting these territories. While Turkic toponyms have historically been studied within the context of individual languages or ethnic groups, there is a need for a holistic analysis of Turkic toponymy as a unified system.”*
At its core — precisely because “place names serve as linguistic passports reflecting the history and identity of the peoples inhabiting these territories” — this project is yet another step taken to erase the distinctiveness and national identity of the Kyrgyz, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Turkmen… while consolidating their regions under the sovereign hand of the Turks.
The “holistic analysis of Turkic toponymy as a unified system” effectively translates into the standardization of maps and geographical names and their reclassification in Turkish.
This is to ensure that governing authorities do not get confused on the ground.
* https://turkicacademy.org/tu/open-call/turkic-toponyms-world
Dünya’daki Türk Toponimleri