"Turkestan" Not "Central Asia": Turkish School Books to Change

The Turkish Ministry of National Education is changing the school curriculum. According to TRT, the term "Central Asia" will be replaced with "Turkestan."

According to experts, this step aims to strengthen national identity and unity among generations. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan emphasized the initiative's importance, stating that Türkiye and the Turkic countries will work together to achieve a common future.

Beside one another, We will make the next period the era of the Turks, spreading our vision of the 'Century of Türkiye' to the entire Organization of Turkic States, Erdoğan said.

Professor Ahmet Taşagıl explained the meaning of the word "Turkestan," recalling that it has been used to refer to the homeland of the Turkic people for centuries. He added that the term "Central Asia" appeared only in the second half of the 19th century due to Russian influence.

Experts also emphasize that this change is part of a larger strategy to create a shared history, literature, maps, and alphabet for the Turkic world.

Recently, Turkic countries approved a standard alphabet consisting of 34 letters based on the Latin alphabet.

Original Author: Alina Pak