▁a ▁symbol ic ▁expression ▁of ▁sec ular ization ▁by ▁breaking ▁the ▁link ▁to ▁Ott oman ▁Islam ic ▁texts ▁to ▁which ▁only ▁a ▁minor ▁group ▁of ▁u le ma ▁had ▁access ; ▁but ▁also ▁Latin ▁script ▁would ▁make ▁reading ▁and ▁writing ▁easier ▁to ▁learn ▁and ▁consequ ently ▁improve ▁the ▁liter acy ▁rate , ▁which ▁succeeded ▁eventually ▁The ▁change ▁motiv ated ▁by ▁a ▁specific ▁political ▁goal : ▁to ▁break ▁the ▁link ▁with ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁and ▁Islam ic ▁past ▁and ▁to ▁orient ▁the ▁new ▁state ▁of ▁Turkey ▁towards ▁the ▁West ▁and ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁traditional ▁Ott oman ▁lands ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁East . ▁He ▁commented ▁on ▁one ▁occasion ▁that ▁the ▁symbol ic ▁meaning ▁of ▁the ▁reform ▁was ▁for ▁the ▁Turkish ▁nation ▁to ▁" show ▁with ▁its ▁script ▁and ▁ment ality ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁on ▁the ▁side ▁of ▁world ▁civil ization ." ▁ ▁G over ning ▁ ▁The ▁idea ▁of ▁absolute ▁mon archy ▁in ▁the ▁text books ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁the ▁limited ▁ide ology ▁known ▁as ▁liberal ism . ▁The ▁teach ings ▁of ▁Jean - Jac ques ▁R ous seau ▁and ▁Mont es qu ieu ▁based ▁republic s ▁were ▁added ▁as ▁content . ▁▁ Ş er if ▁M ardin ▁has ▁noted ▁that ▁" At at ür k ▁im posed ▁the ▁mand atory ▁Latin ▁alphabet ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁promote ▁the ▁national ▁aw aren ess ▁of ▁the ▁Tur ks ▁against ▁a ▁wider ▁Muslim ▁identity . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁imper ative ▁to ▁add ▁that ▁he ▁hoped ▁to ▁relate ▁Turkish ▁national ism ▁to ▁the ▁modern ▁civil ization ▁of ▁Western ▁Europe