Turkologist Varuzhan Geghamyan addressed the symbolism of Turkish state emblems on his Telegram channel, emphasizing that there are no plans to change these symbols, which carry deep political and cultural meaning.
He stated that “renouncing Ararat is about Turkification, not security.”
“In the first image is the emblem of the President of the Republic of Turkey (Türkiye Cumhurbaşkanlığı Forsu),” Geghamyan noted. “The 16 small stars represent Turkic states founded in various historical periods and regions, including the Ottoman Empire. This is the same state that not only occupied parts of modern-day Armenia, but also orchestrated the Armenian Genocide, the Hamidian massacres, the Adana massacre, and more.”
The second image shows the Turkish presidential honor guard: 16 soldiers who greet official foreign delegations. Their flags and presence also symbolize those 16 historic Turkic states.
The third image reveals the same emblem in the background behind Turkish officials during diplomatic meetings.
“In Turkey, these and many other nationalist and expansionist symbols remain unchanged. So the abandonment of Ararat speaks to the Turkification of Armenia, not to its security. There will be no safety in a Turkish vilayet,” Geghamyan concluded.
According to a new Armenian government decision, beginning November 1, 2025, the image of Mount Ararat will be removed from Armenia’s border entry and exit stamps. The decision was adopted during a cabinet meeting as a non-reported agenda item. Minister of Labor and Social Affairs and Civil Contract party board member Arsen Torosyan said the stamps were updated to align with modern border control standards and the ideology of the “Real Armenia” concept.
