Adoption of the Latin Alphabet Law in the Republic of Turkey

Adopted on November 1, 1928, the Law on Latin Letters has gone down in history as one of the most important steps in the modernization process of the Republic of Turkey. With this law, Latin letters were adopted as the official written language instead of the Arabic letters that had been used since the Ottoman Empire. The adoption of Latin letters meant not only a change in the alphabet, but also a profound transformation in education, culture and social structure. This reform, known as the Alphabet Revolution, was carried out to increase the literacy rate. At that time, a large part of the population had difficulty in learning to read and write in Arabic script. Therefore, learning to read and write with new letters was made more accessible to the public. The transition to Latin letters contributed to the new generations becoming literate more quickly and effectively and radical changes were experienced in the education system in a short period of time. This reform also aimed to bring Turkish society into closer contact with the West. The transition to Latin script made Turkey more culturally and economically open to the Western world and paved the way for Turkey to assume a more active role in international relations. In addition, the Alphabet Revolution was seen as a reflection of the secular and modern identity of the Republic and became an important symbol of Turkey's goal to take its place in the modern world. The adoption of the Latin Alphabet Law was part of the vision of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founding leader of the Republic, to bring the Turkish nation to the level of contemporary civilization. Atatürk himself made a personal effort to ensure that the public learned the new system by launching a literacy campaign immediately after the Alphabet Revolution. The effects of this reform continue to this day, leaving deep traces in Turkey's education system and social structure.