Adoption of New Turkish Letters: The Revolution of Enlightenment that Began with Writing

For the Turkish nation, November 1, 1928 is not just a change of alphabet; It is the beginning of a mental revolution.
New Turkish Letters, adopted under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, created a great cultural, social and educational transformation in the modernization journey of the Republic of Türkiye.

A Nation's Re-Reading and Writing Adventure

The Arabic alphabet used during the Ottoman period was very difficult to learn because it did not fully match the sound structure of Turkish. While most of the population was illiterate, the literacy rate was only around 10 percent.

Atatürk took action by seeing the difficulty of access to education and the disconnection of the language from the people at the root of this problem.

The new Turkish letters were designed as an alphabet that is compatible with the sound structure of Turkish, is easy to learn and can be used by everyone. This change brought "freedom to read and write" to all segments of society.

A Great Enlightenment in Education

The Letter Revolution initiated a great mobilization in education in a short time. National Schools, opened in 1928, introduced millions of citizens, young and old, to new letters.
The literacy rate increased rapidly, the teaching profession gained more value in society, and education became one of the pillars of the Republic.

The adoption of the new Turkish letters was not just a technical change — it meant a democratization of learning. Now knowledge was a treasure accessible to every citizen, not just the elite.

Bridge Between Language, Culture and Identity

Ataturk believed that language was the identity of a nation. Thanks to the new letters, Turkish gained strength both as a written and educational language.
This step made it possible to simplify the Turkish language, strengthen communication between the people and the state, and ensure cultural unity.

The language revolution became one of the most powerful tools of modernization — because the Turkish people began to think, write and produce in their own language.

As Hurra Türkiye, we keep this legacy alive

Today, as Hurra Türkiye, we are the continuation of this journey of enlightenment initiated by Atatürk in the digital age.
Teaching Turkish to new generations is not just a language education; is to convey a culture, a history and an identity.

This great transformation, which started with the new Turkish letters, still continues today in every new word and in every child who learns it.

We commemorate Atatürk and all the intellectuals who made this revolution possible with respect and gratitude.