مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - Reflections of Debates Upon Alphabet (Letter) to Journal of Sebilürreşad

Abstract :

In Otoman State which had used Arabic alphabet until a certain period the issue of writing in Latin alphabet was gained currency thanks to the students who had been to Europe and the embassadors who had come from Europe in 18th and 19th centuries. After Tanzimat (reforms in 1839) amendment of letters had been given point first and then it was abondoned and alphabet replacement attempts began. In later periods serious arguments among the ones in favour and against the transition to Latin alphabet occured. One of the media organs in which these arguments had been appeared was Sebilürreşad. In all these articles acceptance of Latin alphabet was refused and instead the amendment of current letters was required. Some of the articles were taken from the journals of that time and according to the broadcasting policy of the journal occupied a certain place even a little. When the journal had leaned to nationalism and Turanism in its first periods afteryears a critisism began in a distinct manner. The articles related to Latin alphabet belonged to the first periods of the journal. It was seen that especially Turks who had been forced to accept Latin alphabet by Russia in Turkish world were taken place in newspaper columns and it was emphasized that this situation would interrupt the unity within Turkish world. Relections of civilization, printery,economy, colonialism and nationalism in terms of alphabet were also taken place in the journal.