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| Farhad Javadi |
Farhad Javadi, the author of the five-volume Turkish Human Names Dictionary, chose the name Turkay for his daughter and Turk Aslan for his son, both born in the 1990s. Speaking to Voice of America from Urmia, the researcher and writer explained, "To obtain a birth certificate for the name Turkay, I had to go back and forth to government offices for three months, and for Turk Aslan, it took a full six months. They kept asking for a source for the names. That’s when I felt it was my duty to create a Turkish names dictionary.”
“Back then, the pressure was even greater. Over time, the atmosphere became more relaxed. Books about names were published, which had an impact. Also, the Turkish people themselves gained the confidence to choose Turkish names for their children... This had a profound effect.”
Javadi’s daughter, born in 1993, went three months without a birth certificate, while his son, born three years later, was without one for six months:
“In 1993, my first child, a daughter, was born. I wanted to name her Turkay. The registry office refused. I spent three months going back and forth, arguing and appealing, before finally getting it approved. Three years later, my son was born. I wanted to name him Turk Aslan. This process took a full six months, involving countless letters and visits to the office before I could secure the name. This experience made me feel a sense of duty to take action. When I wanted to name my children, they demanded a source for the names, saying, ‘This name isn’t acceptable—show us a source!’”
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| Turkish Names Dictionary |
Farhad Javadi published the first volume of Turkish Human Names in February 2001, spanning 618 pages. The second and third volumes were later published with permission from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.
According to Javadi, the ministry has refused to allow the publication of the fourth and fifth volumes, citing various pretexts. However, users have been able to access PDF versions of these volumes.
He explains, “The publication of the fourth and fifth volumes was not permitted. They came up with countless excuses. For instance, they said, ‘Don’t include the Latin script.’ I responded, ‘Without the Latin script, this work won’t function.’ Arabic script has multiple pronunciations for a name. I stood my ground, but they didn’t grant permission for publication.”
Javadi notes that many people seeking to register Turkish names for their children, businesses, or shops have used the Turkish Human Names Dictionary as a reference.
He emphasizes that the situation has improved significantly compared to the 1990s. He advises those trying to register Turkish names not to give up.
“To those wanting to register Turkish names for their children, shops, or companies, I say there’s no official law preventing it. But [authorities] are instructed to create obstacles to deter Turkish names. They create conditions where people have to make repeated trips and eventually get tired and give up, saying, ‘Fine, any name will do,’” Farhad Javadi adds.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Fərhad Cavadi: Türkcə Adlar Sözlüyünü yazmağı özümə bir vəzifə bildim