Aliyev claims ‘there is no Lake Sevan, there is Lake Goycha’

Speaking on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Azerbaijan’s National Academy of Sciences, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev addressed the history of Azerbaijan in the context of “Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur.”

“Speaking about Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, it is impossible not to touch on the history of Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, for years the Armenian side and diaspora have distorted our history, and this propaganda continues. We must counter it with scientific facts,” Aliyev said.

The Azerbaijani leader added that scholars have already conducted numerous studies on the topic, but “more must be done—scientific research, exhibitions, publications, historical maps.”

“Old Russian imperial maps from the early 20th century clearly show that almost all toponyms in present-day Armenia are of Azerbaijani origin. There is no Lake Sevan; there is Lake Goycha. We did not create these maps—they were drawn by Tsarist Russia, which resettled Armenians from Iran and Eastern Anatolia into Karabakh to change the ethnic composition. These maps reflect historical truth. We must study and disseminate them,” Aliyev stated.