It was 1928, five years into Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s presidency and the formative years of the rapidly evolving Republic of Türkiye, following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, once infamously called the “Sick Man of Europe.”

With the Ottoman script replaced by the newly adopted Latin-based Turkish alphabet, Atatürk took it upon himself to personally teach the new writing system in a school in Istanbul. His goal was twofold: to reinforce his already strong public image and to boost literacy rates, particularly among the urban white-collar workforce.

“My dear compatriots, we will now learn the new alphabet, which is used in nearly all countries around the world. Before we begin, do you have any questions?” he asked with deliberate care.