The city council of Van has discussed the issue of reinstating the former names of villages and districts in Van Province. According to the decision, the old names of 704 villages and districts have been reinstated, report Turkish presses, according to Akunq.net.

In November 2014, according to the decision made after preparations of the city council’s corresponding committee, the former names of cities and villages have been reinstated in the cities and villages of the provinces of Bashkale (81), Chaldran (86), Chatak (34), Edremit (18), Erjish (105), Gevash (37), Ipekiolu (50), Muradiye (41), Ozalp (53) and Saray (25).

This decision, which envisages the reinstatement of 704 Kurdish and Armenian toponemes, was unanimously approved by a council comprised of members of the Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). After the approval of this decision, the Turkish, Kurdish and Armenian names of those villages and districts will be officially used within and outside of the country.