According to the forecast of Kazakhstan’s President Nazarbayev, in 2025 Kazakhstan, using Cyrillic, will go entirely to the Latin alphabet.
When we look at Kazakhstan as a whole and see the infinite presence of Russian influence, we can see how this is a strategically important step. Nazarbayev because of his far-sighted policy in Central Asia is considered an important leader. The pressure of China, on the one hand, and between Russia and the West, on the other, makes Nazarbayev’s better to look for a balance! The ideologists of the Russian world understand the significant part of Kazakhstan as part of Russia. On the other hand, China is undergoing a demographic expansion into empty lands of Kazakhstan. A large part of the population of Kazakhstan speaks Russian. Russians constitute a significant number. That is why Nazarbayev keeps in shape spirit of Kazakh nationalism. Understanding of Kazakh identity involves strengthening the Turkic identity.
Now we see that the decision about the alphabet concerned Moscow. When was the Soviet Union, Moscow transferred all Muslim peoples to the Cyrillic alphabet. She touched written language of the Armenian and Georgian peoples and the inhabitants of the Baltic States. The Ottoman past of the Muslim peoples stirs fear of Russia about the fact that in the future it will provide the basis for constructing historical memory. The abolition of the Arabic alphabet and the translation of the Muslims at one time to Latin and then to Cyrillic was fraught with serious strategy. The elimination of the concept of attachment to the Turkish state in podomancy period, obviously, is seen as an important obstacle to integration for those who do not understand each other. The decision of Kazakhstan is a serious course in today’s time.
Azerbaijan has made this move before anyone else. In a period when the Russian problem was through the roof, the Azerbaijani authorities were able to design this course. With the current development of relations with each passing day it becomes more clear how important is the decision about the alphabet. The fact that Kazakhstan has now taken such a decision, on the one hand, courageous stand. This decision definitely will affect other Central Asian republics, will give them courage. Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, it seems, too, will respond to this decision. In the Muslim societies within Russia also many years there are sentiments related to the transition to the Latin alphabet. It is treated as a “serious key to rapprochement with Turkey.” One time Chechnya was thinking about switching to the Arabic alphabet. But it caused serious protests.
Russia has always reacted aggressively to attempts of Muslim societies in its composition closer to Turkey. And understood the initiative as “a provocation of Turkey”. As the scope of Turkey’s relations with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan expand to other Muslim societies within Russia it has a special meaning. Why Turkey is important for Russia and Turkey’s presence, even if she does not do anything in Russia, creates a major effect. The look of Tatarstan in Turkey — detail, which in many ways deepens our presence. Extremely important in this sense, Azerbaijan.
For Russia, relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan mean in a sense, the “approximation” of Turkey to the North Caucasus. Since the Ottoman Empire, the peoples of the Caucasus has always maintained the vitality of their relations with Turkey. For Russia, this seemingly insignificant move can change the scale of the data links. By this I mean that our understanding of Russia’s policy should proceed from these realities. The decision about the alphabet Kazakhstan essentially declared that he “prefers ties with Turkey and the Turkic world.” Here we are talking about trying to change the balance in favor of Turkey. It is necessary to support Nazarbayev and fix this situation. The consequences of this decision, of course, can be accompanied by various provocative actions; however, it is vital to act, taking this into account, and to support Kazakhstan.
