Knowra Turkish alphabet reform Turkish alphabet reform The 1928 replacement of the Arabic-based Ottoman script with a Latin-based alphabet for writing Turkish, undertaken by the Turkish Republic under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
Turkish alphabet : The 29-letter Latin-based alphabet used to write modern Turkish. The reform established this alphabet, including letters designed for Turkish sounds.
Ottoman Turkish alphabet reform debates : Late Ottoman discussions about modifying or replacing the Arabic-based script used for Turkish. Reform proposals predated the republic and supplied arguments later revisited in 1928.
Falih Rıfkı Atay : A Turkish journalist, writer, and politician who supported the republic’s early reforms. He served on the language commission involved in preparing the new alphabet.
Literacy in Turkey : The ability to read and write among people in Turkey across different historical periods. The reform’s educational campaigns sought to expand literacy, though measurement and causation remain debated.
Arabic script : A writing system used for Arabic and adapted for several other languages. The Ottoman script derived from it, but reformers judged it poorly suited to Turkish sounds.
Turkish orthography : The conventions governing how Turkish words are spelled and punctuated. The new alphabet required spelling rules suited to Turkish pronunciation.
Enver Pasha's alphabet reform : A 1910s Ottoman attempt to adapt Arabic script for Turkish military communications. Its practical difficulties informed later judgments about adapting the old script.
İbrahim Grandi : An Ottoman-era educator and writer who argued for adapting the Arabic script to Turkish. His proposals represent an earlier alternative to complete replacement.
Language reform in Turkey : State-supported efforts to reshape Turkish vocabulary, grammar, and public language, especially from the 1930s onward. The alphabet change preceded and enabled a broader program of language planning.
Romanization of Ottoman Turkish : The representation of Ottoman Turkish in the Latin alphabet, often for scholarly transcription or historical study. Unlike the 1928 reform, romanization can transcribe older texts without replacing their historical script.
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