Kıyafet takası sessiz geçmedi; bilakis herkes sohbet etti.

This is a very common Turkish noun-compound pattern.

kıyafet takası = clothing swap / clothes exchange

It is built like this:

• kıyafet = clothing, clothes
• takas = exchange, swap
• takası = takas
  • the 3rd-person possessive ending

In Turkish, when one noun modifies another, the second noun often takes this ending:

• kitap kapağı = book cover
• ev kapısı = house door
• kıyafet takası = clothing swap

So takası does not mean his/her swap here. It is just the normal compound form.

It refers to an event or situation where people exchange clothes.

So it is not just a random exchange of clothing in an abstract sense; it can naturally mean something like a clothes swap event.

A native English speaker might expect something more literally like kıyafet değişimi, but takas specifically gives the idea of swapping/exchanging.

Literally, it is something like:

• sessiz = quiet, silent
• geçmedi = did not pass / did not go by

So sessiz geçmedi means:

• it did not pass quietly
• it was not quiet
• it did not go by in silence

Turkish often uses geçmek for events, times, meetings, holidays, etc., in the sense of to go, to pass, or to unfold.

For example:

• Toplantı iyi geçti. = The meeting went well.
• Gece sakin geçti. = The night passed calmly.

So here, the clothing swap was not quiet.

Good question. In Turkish, adjectives can often function in a way that feels adverb-like in English.

So:

• sessiz geçti
• sessizce geçti

Both are possible, but they are not identical in feel.

sessiz geçti

This is very natural and common. It describes the overall character of the event: it was quiet / it passed quietly.

sessizce geçti

This puts more emphasis on the manner: it passed in a quiet way.

In this sentence, sessiz geçmedi sounds very natural and idiomatic.

Because the subject is kıyafet takası, which is a singular noun phrase.

• kıyafet takası = the clothing swap
• geçmedi = it did not pass / it didn’t go

So the verb is 3rd-person singular, matching the singular subject.

bilakis means:

• on the contrary
• quite the opposite
• rather

In this sentence, it strongly reverses the first idea:

• It was not quiet;
• on the contrary, everyone chatted.

Register

bilakis is understandable and correct, but it sounds a bit more formal or literary than some everyday alternatives.

More conversational alternatives might be:

• aksine
• tam tersine
• hatta

So bilakis is a good word to know, but it is not the most casual choice in everyday speech.

The semicolon links two closely related clauses:

• Kıyafet takası sessiz geçmedi
• bilakis herkes sohbet etti

It shows a strong connection and a contrast between them.

In English, this is similar to using a semicolon before on the contrary or in fact.

You could also see other punctuation in Turkish depending on style, such as a comma or even a full stop:

• Kıyafet takası sessiz geçmedi. Bilakis, herkes sohbet etti.

But the semicolon works well here because the second clause directly contrasts with the first.

Because herkes is grammatically singular in standard Turkish.

• herkes = everyone
• verb usually stays singular

So the standard form is:

• Herkes geldi.
• Herkes konuştu.
• Herkes sohbet etti.

Even though everyone refers to many people in meaning, Turkish usually treats it as singular for verb agreement.

Because sohbet etmek is a very common Turkish expression meaning:

• to chat
• to have a conversation
• to converse

It is made from:

• sohbet = conversation, chat
• etmek = to do, to make

Turkish has many expressions like this, where a noun combines with etmek to create a verbal meaning.

Examples:

• yardım etmek = to help
• telefon etmek = to phone
• sohbet etmek = to chat

So herkes sohbet etti means everyone chatted or everyone had conversations.

Both are in the simple past in Turkish, formed with -di / -dı / -du / -dü or -ti / -tı / -tu / -tü depending on sound harmony and consonants.

geçmedi

• geç- = pass, go
• -me- = negation
• -di = past tense

So: did not pass / did not go

etti

• from etmek
• past 3rd-person singular

So: did / chatted

This tense is often called the definite past or direct past, and it is the normal past tense for reporting completed events.

Yes. Turkish word order is flexible, although some versions sound more neutral than others.

The original sentence:

• Kıyafet takası sessiz geçmedi; bilakis herkes sohbet etti.

This is natural and clear.

Other possible arrangements include:

• Bilakis, herkes sohbet etti.
• Kıyafet takası sessiz geçmedi; herkes bilakis sohbet etti.

But not every rearrangement sounds equally natural. The original order is good because it first states the expectation being denied, then gives the contrasting reality.

So for a learner, the original sentence is a strong, idiomatic model.

Yes.

• konuşmak = to speak, to talk
• sohbet etmek = to chat, to have a friendly conversation

So herkes konuştu could simply mean everyone talked/spoke.

But herkes sohbet etti suggests something more social and relaxed: people were chatting with each other.

That fits well with the idea that the event was lively rather than quiet.