Azerbaijan’s renaming of Armenian places seen as state propaganda, raising concerns over historical toponyms

Azerbaijan refers to settlements and provinces in Armenia by Azerbaijani names. Aghtan is Hrazdan, Gafan is Kapan, Pashkh is Vayk in the Vayots Dzor province, Jermuk remains Jermuk, Basargechar is Vardenis, and so on. Baku presents all of this as the so-called “Western Azerbaijan” territories. Azerbaijan also has football clubs named “Yerevan” and “Zangezur,” and during matches, players wear jerseys with these names.
In an interview with Oragir.News, Azerbaijani studies expert Anzhela Elibegova confirmed that all place names in Artsakh have been changed, and there is also a football club named “Karabakh.” Most of the place names within the current sovereign territory of Armenia have also been replaced with Azerbaijani variants.
Moreover, in official Azerbaijani rhetoric, Yerevan, Lake Sevan, and Syunik have long been presented as “historic Azerbaijani territories.”
According to the expert, Azerbaijan has also established the Yerevan State Azerbaijani Dramatic Theatre.
According to “RusArmInfo,” Armenian city names are even used for producing brandy and wine in Azerbaijan. An Azerbaijani producer makes a dry white wine called “İrəvan qalası” (“Yerevan Fortress”), which Azerbaijan frequently showcases at international exhibitions and wine festivals.
These examples demonstrate that the distortion and Azerbaijani renaming of Armenian place names is a state propaganda policy. There are concerns that, following the example of Mount Ararat, Azerbaijan may demand the renaming of historical Armenian toponyms, which have centuries and millennia of history and testify to Armenian statehood, culture, and identity. Unfortunately, Armenia neither counters nor demands that Azerbaijan refrain from distorting, renaming, or disrespecting Armenian names, thereby violating the national pride and dignity of Armenian citizens.