Turkish language reform

The Turkish language reform (Turkish: Dil Devrimi), initiated on 12 July 1932, aimed to purge the Turkish language of Arabic and Persian-origin words and grammatical rules, transforming it into a more vernacular and spoken language of the Republic of Turkey.

Under the leadership of president Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the reform commenced and persisted with varying degrees of intensity and momentum until the 1970s, following the most profound period of transformation between 1932 and 1938. The closure of the former Turkish Language Association in 1982 was officially recognized as the end of the language reform. Aligned with the alphabet reform in 1928, the language reform stands as one of the fundamental pillars of the significant structural alterations undergone by the Turkish language in the 20th century.