Uzbekistan President signs law to reform national alphabet

Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a law to reform the nation's Latin-based alphabet to increase compatibility with other Turkic languages. The new system will consist of 28 letters and an apostrophe, replacing the previous 26 letters and three letter combinations.

Under the new regulation, specific character combinations such as “o'”, “g'”, “sh”, and “ch” will be replaced by “ö”, “ğ”, “ş”, and “ç”. The combination “ng” will be removed from the alphabet. Saida Mirziyoyeva, Head of the Presidential Administration, stated that the change aims to correct a “historical error” and strengthen the language's position in the digital world.

To minimize costs, existing documents, national currency, and securities will remain valid. Textbooks, signage, and directional signs will be updated gradually as they reach the end of their lifespans.