Latin Alphabet in Turkish countries facts for kids

The Turkish people geographical distribution. In dark blue the countries with Latin alphabet.

The Latin alphabet is the main writing system used in many countries where people speak Turkic languages. These languages are spoken by millions of people across a wide area, from Turkey to Central Asia.

While many Turkic languages use the Latin alphabet today, some can also be written using the Arabic alphabet or the Cyrillic alphabet. This article will tell you more about why and how the Latin alphabet became so popular in these countries.

History of the Latin Alphabet in Turkic Countries

After World War I, many Turkic countries wanted to become more like Western nations. Part of this change was to start using the Latin alphabet.

Turkey's Alphabet Change

Turkey was the first to make this big change. In 1928, its leader, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, decided to switch from the Arabic alphabet to the Latin alphabet. This happened after the end of the Ottoman Empire. This change was a big step in modernizing Turkey.

Changes in Soviet Central Asia

Soon, other Turkic-speaking countries in Central Asia, which were part of the Soviet Union, also started using a Latin alphabet. This alphabet was similar to the one used in Turkey.

However, during World War II, the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin wanted these countries to be more like Russia. He ordered them to stop using the Latin alphabet. Instead, they had to use the Cyrillic alphabet. This process was called "russification."

Return to Latin After 1991

When the Soviet Union broke apart in 1991, many of these Turkic countries became independent. Most of them decided to use the Latin alphabet again. They made small changes to their alphabets to suit their own languages. This also helped them show their independence from Moscow.

Turkic Countries Using the Latin Alphabet

Many Turkic countries now officially use the Latin alphabet. Here are some examples:

• Turkey: Has used only the Latin alphabet since 1928.
• Azerbaijan: Has used only the Latin alphabet since 1991.
• Turkmenistan: Has used only the Latin alphabet since 1999.
• Uzbekistan: Has officially used the Latin alphabet since 2005, but some people still use Cyrillic.
• Kazakhstan: Uses both the Latin and Cyrillic alphabets.
• Kyrgyzstan: Uses both the Latin and Cyrillic alphabets.

Letters in the Turkish Latin Alphabet

The Turkish alphabet used in Turkey has 29 letters. It uses both capital and small letters, just like English. Other Turkic countries like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have more letters in their Latin alphabets.

Out of the 29 letters in Turkey's Latin alphabet, 8 are vowels (A, E, I, İ, O, Ö, U, Ü). The other 21 letters are consonants. You might notice that the letters Q, W, and X, which are common in the English alphabet, are not used in the Turkish Latin alphabet.

Different Alphabets in Other Countries

The Turkish alphabet used in other Turkic countries, like Kazakhstan, can have different letters. For example, when the Kazakh language uses the Latin alphabet (called Qazaqsa), it has 38 letters. This shows how each country adapts the Latin alphabet to fit its unique sounds.