The current Latin derived Turkish alphabet was first introduced in Turkey on 1 January 1929 and was made compulsory.
Erdoğan, however wishes to turn the clock back and reintroduce the Ottoman Turkish script which is a derivative of Arabic and Persian.
“We must go backwards and relinquish the false ideals of the secularist Kemalists. Islam must be seen in all parts of life, including our alphabet,” the president said in a speech in Ankara on Thursday.
The date for the switch back has not been yet announced, but Erdoğan is conducting a full review of the education system in the country and hopes to push the reintroduction of the Ottoman Arabic alphabet by 2018.
