The Turkmen alphabet is a variant of the Latin alphabet used for official purposes in Turkmenistan. At the start of the 20th century, when Turkmen started to be written, it used the Arabic script, but in 1928, the Latin script was adopted. In 1940, the Russian influence in Soviet Turkmenistan prompted a switch to a Cyrillic alphabet and a Turkmen Cyrillic alphabet was created. When Turkmenistan became independent in 1991, President Saparmurat Niyazov immediately instigated a return to the Latin script. When it was reintroduced in 1993, it was supposed to use some unusual letters, such as the pound, dollar, yen and cent signs, but these were replaced by more conventional lettersymbolsin 1999. The political and social forces that have combined to bring about these changes of script, then modifications of the Latin script, have been documented by Victoria Clement. Turkmen is still often written with an Arabic alphabet in other countries where the language is spoken and where the Arabic script is dominant.
Evolution
Sample text (Article 1 of the UDHR">Universal Declaration of Human Rights">UDHR)
Hemme adamlar öz mertebesi we hukuklary boýunça deň ýagdaýda dünýä inýärler. Olara aň hem wyždan berlendir we olar bir-birleri bilen doganlyk ruhundaky garaýyşda bolmalydyrlar.
Hemme adamlar öz mertebesi we hukuklary boÿunça deñ ÿagdaÿda dünÿä inÿärler. Olara añ hem wyſdan berlendir we olar bir-birleri bilen doganlyk ruhundaky garaÿy¢da bolmalydyrlar.
Hemme adamlar qz mertebesi we hukuklarx boyunca deng yagdayda dvnyea inyearler. Olara ang hem wxjhdan berlendir we olar bir-birleri bilen doganlxk ruhundakx garayxshda bolmalxdxrlar.
Хемме адамлар өз мертебеси ве хукуклары боюнча дең ягдайда дүнйә инйәрлер. Олара аң хем выждан берлендир ве олар бир-бирлери билен доганлык рухундакы гарайышда болмалыдырлар.
Hemme adamlar өz mertebesi ve hukuklarь bojunca deŋ jagdajda dynjә injәrler. Olara aŋ hem vьƶdan berlendir ve olar bir-birleri bilen doganlьk ruhundakь garajьşda bolmalьdьrlar.
Hemme adamlar öz mertebesi ve xuquqları boyunça deñ yağdayda dünyə inyərler. Olara añ hem vıjdan berlendir ve olar bir-birleri bilen doğanlıq ruxundaqı ğarayışda bolmalıdırlar.
