Learn Hardcore Turkish: Tsunami tatbikatı sırasında acil durum ekipleri GPS ve pusula kullanarak tahliye rotalarını hızlıca belirledi. - During the tsunami drill, emergency teams quickly determined evacuation routes using GPS and a compass.

tatbikatı = tatbikat (drill) + -ı (3rd-person possessive) → “the drill”
sırasında = sıra (time/turn) + -sı (possessive) + -nda (locative) → “during its time”
Together tatbikatı sırasında literally “in the time of the drill,” i.e. during the drill.

Why is tatbikatı singular and what does the suffix -ı do?

tatbikat by itself means “a drill” or “drill” in general. Adding -ı marks third-person possession (“its drill”) and makes the noun definite (“the drill”). In Turkish, a possessive suffix often signals that the speaker has a specific instance in mind.

What is the difference between using sırasında and the suffix -iken (as in yapılırken) to say “while”?

sırasında comes from a noun (sıra + -sı + -nda) and means “during X,” where X is a noun event (e.g. toplantı sırasında = during the meeting).
-iken attaches to a verb stem and means “while doing X” (e.g. yapılırken = while it was being done).
Both convey overlapping time, but sırasında is preferred when you refer to the timing of a noun-based event.

Why does ekipleri take -leri even though it’s the subject?

ekip = team
-ler = plural → ekipler (“teams”)
-i = 3rd-person singular possessive → ekipleri (“the teams”)
In Turkish, adding a possessive suffix often makes a noun definite (“the teams” rather than “teams” in general). Subjects can carry this suffix to indicate that they are known/specific.

How does GPS ve pusula kullanarak function in this sentence?

kullanarak is the aorist participle of kullanmak (“to use”), formed with -arak on the verb stem. It means “by using.” Thus GPS ve pusula kullanarak = “by using GPS and compass,” expressing the means or instrument for the main action.

What does rotalarını mean and why is it in the accusative?

rota = route
-lar = plural → rotalar (“routes”)
-ını = definite direct-object marker (accusative; also overlapping with 3rd-person possessive)
So rotalarını marks “the specific evacuation routes” as a definite object of belirledi (“determined”). The accusative suffix shows that these routes are concrete/specified.

What is hızlıca and how is it formed?

hızlı = fast/rapid
-ca = adverbial suffix
Combined hızlıca = quickly/rapidly. Here it modifies belirledi, telling us the teams determined the routes swiftly.

Why does the verb belirledi appear at the end, and what is the general word order?

Turkish typically follows Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order. In this sentence the sequence is:
1) Time phrase: Tsunami tatbikatı sırasında
2) Subject: acil durum ekipleri
3) Means participle: GPS ve pusula kullanarak
4) Object: tahliye rotalarını
5) Adverb: hızlıca
6) Verb: belirledi
The verb comes last, with all modifiers and objects placed before it.