Bu soruya bir karşılık vermedi.

this

Breakdown of Bu soruya bir karşılık vermedi.

• bir: a
• vermek: to give
• soru: the question

Questions & Answers about Bu soruya bir karşılık vermedi.

Why is soru written as soruya here?

Because soruya is soru + the dative case ending, which often means to or for.

• soru = question
• soruya = to the question / to this question

The sentence uses Bu soruya because the expression is bir karşılık vermek = to give a response, and the response is given to something.

Also notice the extra y:

• soru + a would be hard to pronounce
• Turkish inserts a buffer consonant: soruya

So:

• bu soru = this question
• bu soruya = to this question

What is the role of bu in this sentence?

Bu means this.

It modifies soruya, so Bu soruya means to this question.

Turkish does not have articles like the or a/an in the same way English does, so bu is simply a demonstrative adjective:

• bu kitap = this book
• bu soru = this question
• bu soruya = to this question

What does bir mean here? Does it mean one?