Uzbekistan government systems to adapt to updated alphabet

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan’s government information systems, databases, e-government platforms and electronic document management systems are planned to be adapted to the updated Uzbek alphabet, Nurulla Abdullayev, an adviser to the Minister of Digital Technologies on spirituality and the state language, said at a Senate meeting in response to a question from Senator Khusan Ermatov.

The senator asked how the new letters Ö, Ğ, Ş and Ç, which are proposed to replace O‘, G‘, Sh and Ch, would be introduced into government information systems, databases and digital platforms.

According to Abdullayev, after the law is adopted, a unified technical standard is planned to be developed. An audit of existing databases will then be conducted, and the O‘, G‘, Sh and Ch characters used in them are planned to be automatically replaced with the new symbols.

The next stage will involve adapting system integration and data exchange systems, as well as electronic document management. The migration of citizens’ data and improvements to search and identification mechanisms are also planned.

A representative of the Ministry of Digital Technologies noted that the technical implementation of the changes should not present significant difficulties, as the proposed symbols are already used in other countries.

New letters planned for free keyboard keys

Nodirjon Kholbutaev, head of the Department for the Development of the State Language under the Cabinet of Ministers, said that the current draft of the Uzbek alphabet is already the fifth version developed over the past ten years.

According to him, the compatibility of the new draft with digital technologies and the experience of countries and peoples using the Latin script were studied separately during its preparation.

Specialists have already proposed options for placing the four new letters on unused keys of a standard Latin keyboard. According to the photograph presented, these are keys in the area where the [ ] \ ; ' symbols are usually located. In the layout, these positions are designated for Ö, Ğ, Ş and Ç.

“In a very short period of time, the letters can be placed on unused keys, and, as already mentioned, instead of five or six actions to enter the problematic letters, it will be enough to press one button,” Kholbutaev said.

According to him, private developers have already begun creating relevant solutions. Programs have also appeared online that can automatically convert texts from Cyrillic and the current version of the Latin alphabet into the updated alphabet.

Kholbutaev described the current spelling of O‘ and G‘ as one of the obstacles to the digitalization of the Uzbek language.

“The four letters in it, especially O‘ and G‘ with their additional marks, figuratively speaking, have been like a splinter in the body of our alphabet, creating difficulties for us all this time,” he said.

Earlier, the Senate approved amendments to the Uzbek Latin-based alphabet. The new version provides for 28 letters and one apostrophe instead of the current 26 letters and three letter combinations. Sh, Ch, Oʻ and Gʻ are to be replaced by Ş, Ç, Ö and Ğ, while Ng is to be excluded from the alphabet as a separate unit.

Senator Khusan Ermatov previously said that Uzbekistan had not yet completed the transition from Cyrillic to the current Latin alphabet, warning that three writing systems could potentially be used simultaneously. The government, in turn, said it plans to transfer the media and official document management to a single updated alphabet.

Earlier, the Senate approved amendments to the Uzbek Latin-based alphabet. Under the new version, it will include 28 letters and one apostrophe instead of the current 26 letters and three letter combinations. Sh, Ch, Oʻ and Gʻ are to be replaced by Ş, Ç, Ö and Ğ. The Ng letter combination will be excluded from the alphabet as a separate unit.

For the law to enter into force, the document must be signed by the president.