Why does it say ‘Republic of Turkey’ on banknotes? Where is the ‘I’?

The presence of the phrase “Republic of Turkey” on banknotes without the letter “I” is not a mistake or an oversight. It is actually a deliberate choice made by the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey.

The reason behind this is related to the Turkish language and its unique alphabet. In Turkish, the letter “I” has two different forms: “ı” (lowercase) and “İ” (uppercase). The lowercase “ı” is a dotless “i” and is used in the middle or at the end of words, while the uppercase “İ” has a dot and is used at the beginning of words or as a standalone letter.

However, when it comes to printing the name of the country on banknotes, the Central Bank of Turkey decided to use the uppercase “I” without a dot. This decision was made to maintain consistency with the Latin alphabet, which is used in many other languages and does not include the dotted “İ” character.

The choice to exclude the dot from the uppercase “I” on banknotes is not unique to Turkey. Other countries that use the Latin alphabet, such as Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, also follow a similar convention. This decision helps to ensure uniformity and ease of recognition for international audiences who may not be familiar with the Turkish language or its specific alphabet.

It is worth noting that this usage of the uppercase “I” without a dot is limited to the name of the country on banknotes. In all other instances, such as official documents, signage, or regular text, the proper Turkish alphabet is used, including both the lowercase “ı” and the uppercase “İ”.

In conclusion, the absence of the letter “I” with a dot on banknotes is intentional and serves to maintain consistency with the Latin alphabet. It is a decision made by the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey to ensure clarity and recognition for both domestic and international audiences.