Learn Hardcore Turkish: Yoğurt, süt ürünü olarak protein ve kalsiyum yanında probiyotik içerir; kriz dönemlerinde rahatlatıcı olabilir. - Yogurt, as a dairy product, includes probiotics along with protein and calcium; it can be soothing during crisis periods.

süt ürünü = “dairy product” (süt = milk, ürün = product)
olarak = “as” (a particle that turns a noun phrase into an adverbial or role marker)
In Turkish, when you want to express “in the capacity of X” or “as X,” you attach olarak to the noun phrase.

Why is protein ve kalsiyum yanında translated as “in addition to protein and calcium”? What does yanında do?

yanında is derived from yan (“side”) + locative suffix -ında, giving “at (its) side.” Idiomatically, Noun + yanında means “besides Noun” or “in addition to Noun.”
So protein ve kalsiyum yanında = “besides protein and calcium,” i.e., “in addition to protein and calcium.”

Why doesn’t protein (or kalsiyum) take an accusative suffix here, even though they’re objects of içerir (“contains”)?

In Turkish, when you talk about things in a general, indefinite sense (“contains protein” as a characteristic), you typically leave the object unmarked (“protein” instead of proteini). The accusative suffix -i is used when the object is definite or specific (“it contains the protein we added”). Here it’s a generic statement, so no -i.

Why is probiyotik singular and without any suffix?

Probiyotik is a mass noun in this context (“probiotic,” treated like “protein” or “calcium”), not a countable item. Mass nouns remain singular and unsuffixed when you speak about them in general. If you wanted to talk about several individual probiotic strains, you could use probiyotikler, but here it’s the concept of probiotics in yogurt.

What case and number is kriz dönemlerinde, and why?

dönemler = “periods” (plural of dönem)
-de = locative case (“in,” “during”)
-n- = buffer consonant for e/ı → -nde
-i = third-person plural possessive (periodsʼ)
Actually, breakdown: dönem
- plural -ler → dönemler, then locative -de → dönemlerde, and the plural marker is already there. So kriz dönemlerinde = “in the periods of crisis” or simply “during crises” / “in crisis periods.”

Why is rahatlatıcı used instead of rahat? What does -latıcı do?

rahat = “comfortable,” “relaxed” (adjective)
rahatlamak = “to become comfortable/relaxed” (verb)
-lat = causative suffix → rahatlatmak = “to make someone comfortable/relaxed”
-ıcı/-ici = agentive/adjectival suffix → rahatlatıcı = “something that makes you relaxed” → “relaxing” or “soothing.”
So rahatlatıcı is an adjective meaning “soothing” / “relaxing.”

Why is the simple present içerir used, and not the progressive içeriyor?

Turkish uses the simple present tense (aorist) içerir for general truths or habitual facts (“it contains,” as a permanent property). The progressive içeriyor would imply a current, ongoing action (“right now it is containing”), which doesn’t fit here.

Why is olabilir used instead of olur?

olur = “it is” / “it becomes” (definite statement)
olabilir = “it can be,” “it may be” (expresses possibility)
The sentence says yogurt may be soothing in crisis times, so the modal -abilir is required to express that possibility.

How does the semicolon (;) function in Turkish here?

Just like in English, a semicolon links two closely related independent clauses.
1) Yoğurt … probiyotik içerir
2) kriz dönemlerinde rahatlatıcı olabilir
They’re thematically connected (properties of yogurt), so a semicolon is perfectly natural in formal Turkish writing.

Why is there no article before Yoğurt, and why is there a comma right after it?

Turkish has no definite or indefinite articles (“a,” “the”). Nouns stand alone.
The comma after Yoğurt sets off the parenthetical/adjectival phrase süt ürünü olarak (like “as a dairy product”). It signals that what follows is an explanatory insertion.