This study examines alphabet reforms in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan as critical components of post-Soviet nation-building and identity formation. Following independence in 1991, all three nations initiated transitions from Cyrillic to Latin scripts, yet their implementation strategies and outcomes differ markedly. Using comparative case study methodology and analyzing three decades of policy documents, educational reforms, and sociolinguistic data, this research explores how script reform serves as both symbolic break from Soviet legacy and practical assertion of cultural sovereignty. The findings reveal distinct approaches: Uzbekistan's gradual thirty-year transition, Kazakhstan's planned shift toward 2025, and Azerbaijan's rapid decade-long implementation. Despite shared motivations—de-Russification, modernization, and Turkic integration—each pathway reflects unique historical contexts, demographic structures, and geopolitical considerations.

Script reform, post-Soviet identity, nation-building, Uzbekistan

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