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This longitudinal study investigates how to which preschool children's phonologicalawareness and emergent literacy skills predict their early writing performance in first grade. Conducted in the context of a transparent Turkish orthography, the study aimed to identifyearly cognitive-linguistic indicators that contribute to writing development. A total of 97 children (aged 66–77 months) from preschools in a socioeconomically diverse Turkish district were followed over two academic years. In the first year, participants were assessed using the LAP-3 Early Literacy Subtest and the Phonological Awareness Test to measure their emergent literacy and phonological skills. One year later, their writing performance was evaluated using a validated sentence construction assessment. Non-parametric statistical tests and correlation analyses were conducted to examine developmental variations and relationships among the variables. Results revealed statistically significant correlationsbetween early writing performance and both phonological awareness (r = .46, p < .01) and emergent literacy (r = .32, p < .01). Specific subskills such as syllable segmentation, rhyming awareness, and letter-sound correspondence emerged as strong predictors of writing performance. These skills were not significantly influenced by age or gender. The findings highlight the foundational role of preschool phonological and emergent literacy skills in early writing development. This study contributes empirical data from a transparent orthography. These findings reinforce developmental literacy theories and emphasize the importance of early identification and instructional support in preschool settings to promote future writing success.