Who changed the Turkish alphabet?

It was a key step in the cultural part of Atatürk’s Reforms, introduced following his consolidation of power. Having established a one-party state ruled by his Republican People’s Party, Atatürk was able to sweep aside the previous opposition to implementing radical reform of the alphabet.

Is Turkish language similar to Arabic?

The Turkish language is not related to Arabic. Turkish and Arabic are distinctly different languages. Turkish belongs to the Altaic and Turkic language group, and Arabic belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language group. Both languages have very different grammar structures, vocabulary, and sounds.

Did they speak Arabic in the Ottoman Empire?

Educated Ottoman Turks spoke Arabic and Persian, as these were the main non-Turkish languages in the pre-Tanzimat era. In the last two centuries, French and English emerged as popular languages, especially among the Christian Levantine communities.

Why was Ataturk important to Turkish history?

Atatürk was a military genius, a charismatic leader, also a comprehensive reformer in his life. It was important at the time for the Republic of Turkey to be modernized in order to progress towards the level of contemporary civilizations and to be an active member of the culturally developed communities.

Why did Turkey get rid of the Arabic alphabet?

The Arabic alphabet was abandoned to make the new Turkish Republic look like a more modern state (particularly in the eyes of foreigners) and to remove the symbolic connections it had with the past Ottoman Empire.

How has the Turkish language changed over the years?

After the alphabet reform in the 20s, the language was also radically changed in the 30s by eliminating many Arabic and Persian words and replacing them with Turkish words, invented words made to look like ‘real Turkish’ or words from European languages (French usually).

Why are loanwords being replaced in Turkish?

The replacing of loanwords in Turkish is part of a policy of Turkification of Atatürk.