Kazakhstan is changing its alphabet from Cyrillic to Latin-based

Re:Kazakhstan is changing its alphabet from Cyrillic to Lati... by vatueil on Wednesday April 25, 2018 @07:31PM (#16927408)

Using a Latin alphabet might help Kazakhstan interface with the West. However, I think the more direct reason is that a Latin alphabet would facilitate links with Turkey and other Turkish speakers who use Latin alphabets.

Either way the move away from Cyrillic may loosen ties to Russia, but the fact that Turkey uses a Latin alphabet is a stronger motivation than any hopes of building bridges with the West. The latter, if it happens, would just be a bonus.

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Re:Kazakhstan is changing its alphabet from Cyrillic to Lati... by Mediterraneo10 on Wednesday April 25, 2018 @07:36PM (#16927450)

> I think the more direct reason is that a Latin alphabet would facilitate links with Turkey and other Turkish speakers who use Latin alphabets.

Perhaps, but Kazakhstan intentionally decided not to make its new Latin alphabet mirror the Turkish alphabet. In the 1920s several Turkic nations took Turkey’s alphabet as a model, but then were condemned by the Stalinist regime for being too pan-Turkic, with tragic consequences. Kazakhstan is therefore trying to walk an independent course here.

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Re:Kazakhstan is changing its alphabet from Cyrillic to Lati... by vatueil on Wednesday April 25, 2018 @08:05PM (#16927626)

True. At least the latest update removes the weird apostrophes.

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Re:Kazakhstan is changing its alphabet from Cyrillic to Lati... by sbmthakur on Thursday April 26, 2018 @03:16AM (#16929537)

I think this is the most appropriate reason. They could've promoted the use of English if getting closer to the West is the aim.

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