Turkish Studies- Comparative Religious Studies, cilt.19, sa.3, ss.331-349, 2024 (Hakemli Dergi)
The Arabic language has an incredible history that it has survived and evolved for thousands of years, and it has been influenced by many different cultures and events. As a language used across a vast geography and serving as the language of the fundamental sources of Islam, Arabic belongs to the Hamito- Semitic language family – an amazing fact While there are still some debates about which language this group of languages came from, one thing is for sure: Arabic has been the language of the Qur'an for fourteen centuries. However, there have been some fascinating interventions in the Arabic language over time, such as efforts to simplify it or remove what is seen as unnecessary or excessive. In recent times, one of the most notable and exciting efforts has been focused on its alphabet. During this exciting period of national state formation and the advent of western knowledge, science and industry, Arab intellectuals and politicians were engaged in lively discussions about changing the alphabet. These were influenced by the Turkish Alphabet Reform. One of the most notable works in this area is Abdülaziz Fehmî Pasha's trailblazing proposal to replace the Arabic script with the Latin alphabet. Fehmî Pasha’s proposal shot to prominence thanks to his leading role in Egypt’s fight for independence from the British and its reconstruction. His adoption of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s and the Turkish Alphabet Reform as examples adds incredible value to this study. This research, using a textual analysis method and dives deep into the fascinating world of the Arabic alphabet, exploring its rich history. One of the factors that paved the way for the creation of the study is Turkey's experience in using the Latin alphabet instead of the Arabic alphabet and its impact on other Arab countries, especially Egypt. At the same time, there was a dearth of research on this subject within our own country. The studies that have shaped its evolution, and the intriguing reasons behind Abdülaziz Fehmî Pasha’s bold proposal to replace it with the Latin alphabet. It also delves into the intriguing feedback loop that emerged during the preparation and publication of the proposal, uncovering the compelling reasons behind its initial reception and the subsequent evolution of opinions.