Learn Hardcore Turkish: Sözleşme şartlarını müşterilerle müzakere etmeliyiz. - We should negotiate the contract terms with the customers.

şart means “term” or “condition.”
-lar marks the plural (terms).
-ı is the definite direct object suffix (accusative).
So şartlarını = “the terms” as the object of the sentence.

Why can we say sözleşme şartları without using the genitive suffix -in on sözleşme?

Turkish allows noun–noun compounds directly.
sözleşme şartları literally “contract terms.”
You could also say sözleşmenin şartları (“the contract’s terms”)—both are correct and interchangeable in this context.

What case is müşterilerle and why is it used here?

The suffix -le is the comitative/instrumental case meaning “with.”
So müşterilerle = “with clients.”
You may also hear müşterilerle birlikte or müşterilerle beraber for “together with clients.”

What is the role of müzakere etmek? Why can’t we just say müzakere?

müzakere on its own is a noun meaning “negotiation.”
To turn it into a verb “to negotiate,” Turkish uses etmek (“to do”) after many loan-nouns.
Hence müzakere etmek = “to carry out a negotiation” = “to negotiate.”

What does etmeliyiz indicate in terms of tense and mood?

The suffix -meli expresses necessity or obligation (“must/should”).
The ending -yiz marks 1st person plural (“we”).
So etmeliyiz = “we must/should do.”

Could we use a different verb form like müzakere edeceğiz? What’s the difference?

müzakere edeceğiz uses the future tense suffix -ecek + iz = “we will negotiate.”
It states a simple future action.
By contrast, etmeliyiz conveys obligation (“we should negotiate”), not just a future plan.

Why is the verb at the end of the sentence?

Turkish follows a Subject–Object–Verb (SOV) order.
Even though biz (“we”) isn’t written, the verb etmeliyiz comes last as per that rule.

I don’t see biz (we) in the sentence. Why is it omitted?

Turkish is a pro-drop language.
Verb endings (here -yiz in etmeliyiz) reveal the subject, so explicit pronouns like biz are often left out.