The Turkish Language retains 'Arabic' Script

Ataturk as part of his modernisation programme introduced latin script into the Turkish language in 1928. It had hitherto been written in a form of Arabic script!
What if Turkish had maintained the Arabic alphabet. Would it be closer to the Pan Arab world then it is today. Would it be further isolated from Mainstream Europe then it is!
 
Kemal Ataturk wished to develop a Turkish nation and remove all ties with Arabia. He dumped the Caliphate as Arabic and then dumped the Sultan. He gave the Imperial family 24 hours to pack up and get on the special train awaiting them on the European side of the Bosphorus.
He then set up a commission of philologists to re-do the language and use the Latin script. This commission was primarily French and Swiss but included Thomas Dewey (not the governor elected President over Truman in 1948). All words in modern Turkish can be written clearly in the modern script. Many loaner words from Persian and Arabic were retained but almost all irregular verbs and nouns were changed to regular. Only the verb “to be” is irregular and only the noun “water” is irregular.
We have a tremendous number of irregulars due to the fact that English takes the word and its formation exactly as it is in the mother language. If rooves (or roofs) is the plural of roof, is “groof” the singular of “grooves”?
We only met one person who missed Ottoman and that was a former professor (an Englishman) whom we met at Tokapi last year. He had been a professor of it at an Istanboul university.
 

Delvestius

Banned
Personally, I think things would be a hell of a lot easier if they did (and it would be much more of a reason for me to learn Turkish :D). No guarantees can be made that they would remain more friendly with the Arabs (just look at the Persians) but it would make communication much easier between the ethnic realms.
 
Kemal Ataturk introduced Latin script in place of Arabic script as part of his modernization program. He wanted to make Turkey a real European Nation, severing all links with Arabia. The change of the script helped the secularization of Turkey. The Arabic language and script have undetachable links with the religion of Islam. By changing the script Ataturk hoped to weaken the hold of Islam over the people and he was successful to a great extent.
If the Arabic script was retained the secularism would not have become as entrenched as it was, in Turkey. The Islamic revival would have occurred even early and more strongly. It is the legacy of Ataturk that enables Turkey to retain her secularism even under an "Islamist" Government.
 
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