Nurlan Nigmatulin: Transition to Latin script dictated by the need to modernize the language
"The reform of the alphabet is dictated by historical prerequisites and is aimed at increasing the global competitiveness of Kazakhstan and accelerated integration into the global scientific, educational, technological and communication space. We need to remember that Latin is the most used script in the world. This is an objective reality of today, therefore it is no exaggeration to say that the modern world is the world of the Latin script," Mr. Nigmatulin said.
He also reminded that the idea of transition of Kazakh to Latin script was raised by the Head of the State, back in 2006, at the 12th session of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan. In 2012 in the "Kazakhstan-2050" Strategy, the President instructed to begin the transition in 2025.
According to Mr. Nigmatulin, the second most important reason for the transition is the need to modernize Kazakh language, emphasizing that it is not just about changing graphics but rather about revealing Kazakh's wealth and potential, not only as a mean of communication but also as a powerful part of spiritual revival and strengthening of national identity.
The speaker added that the country's language policy remains unchanged and the alphabet change will only affect the Kazakh language. The transition to Latin script is primarily aimed at reforming the Kazakh alphabet and spelling rules, which will allow to establish a correspondence between the phonetics for the language and its graphics.