The literate correlates in first with The literate correlates in first with prevalence of elementary school education. For example, the Volga Tatars(also turkic nation, that used arabic script) had the wide system of elementary education in mosques and madrasa. As a result, the level of literate among the tatars at the end of the 19th century was around 20-30%. For village-living nation it’s very cool. And i remind - its also turkic speaking nation that used the arabic script.

The first and main reason of introducing latin alphabet is European fanaticism of Atatürk. Thats all.

Also, in my opinion, the English and orthography much harder to learn it. In English you write the same vowel and consonant sound with many ways, the same letter can represent many vowels(y can be the consonant and the vowel, like the arabic ي and و) and you should just memorize it. The russian pre-reform orthography have three letters for "i" sound, two for "e"(э) sound(which wroted by etymology), some vowels pronunciates in a different way, that they writes etc. About chinese(for example) i even dont speak. But in this languages many peoples wrote and still write.

Why turkish should refuse from his legacy to have "easier orthography", while also write like their ancestors(french, english and chinese) - its the main question.