Learn Hardcore Turkish: Toplantıyı bitirmek üzereydik; son anda yeni bir soru geldi. - We were about to finish the meeting; at the last moment a new question came.

-mek: verbal noun suffix (dictionary/infinitive form)
üzere: postposition meaning “on the point of / about to” (also “for the purpose of” in other uses)
idi: past of olmak (“to be”), often contracted to -ydi
-k: 1st person plural “we”
So Toplantıyı bitirmek üzereydik = “We were about to finish the meeting.”

Why is Toplantıyı in the accusative (-ı)?

Because the direct object is definite/specific (“the meeting”). In Turkish, definite direct objects take the accusative.

Definite: Toplantıyı bitirmek üzereydik.
Indefinite: Bir toplantı bitirmek üzereydik. (rare/narrow context: “about to finish a meeting [not specified]”)
If you say Toplantı bitirmek… (bare noun), it’s also indefinite, but sounds odd here unless you truly mean “some/any meeting.”

Could I say Toplantı bitirmek üzereydik without -ı?

Grammatically possible, but it shifts the meaning to an indefinite object (“to finish a meeting”), which is usually not what you want in a real scenario where there’s a specific meeting. With a specific meeting, keep -ı: Toplantıyı bitirmek üzereydik.

Why is there a buffer y in toplantıyı and üzereydik?

Turkish inserts y to prevent vowel clash:

toplantı + ı → toplantıyı
üzere + idi → üzereydi- (then add person: üzereydik)

How is Toplantıyı bitirmek üzereydik different from Toplantıyı bitiriyorduk?

bitirmek üzereydik: “We were about to finish” (right at the end, on the verge).
bitiriyorduk: “We were finishing” (ongoing process; not necessarily at the very end).

How does it compare to Toplantıyı bitirecektik?

bitirecektik: “We were going to finish / were supposed to finish” (plan/expectation), not necessarily imminent.
bitirmek üzereydik: imminent, just about to happen.

Could I say Tam bitirecekken…?

Yes. Tam bitirecekken, yeni bir soru geldi. = “Just as we were about to finish, a new question came.”
This emphasizes the exact moment of interruption.

What does son anda mean, and why the -da?

Son anda = “at the last moment.”
-da is the locative case (“in/at”). It’s a set phrase. You can also say son dakikada (“at the last minute”) with the same idea.

Why use gelmek in yeni bir soru geldi? Isn’t that “came,” not “was asked”?

Turkish often uses gelmek for things that “come up/come in” during a meeting or discussion.

yeni bir soru geldi: “a new question came up/was raised” (natural, idiomatic)
yeni bir soru soruldu: “a new question was asked” (focus on the act of asking)
yeni bir soru ortaya çıktı: “a new question emerged/appeared”

Can I move son anda around?

Yes. Word order changes focus:

Son anda yeni bir soru geldi. (focus on timing)
Yeni bir soru son anda geldi. (focus on “a new question,” with timing added)

Is the semicolon necessary here?

Not strictly. It separates two closely related independent clauses for clarity. You could also use a comma, or even ama/fakat:

Toplantıyı bitirmek üzereydik, son anda yeni bir soru geldi.
Toplantıyı bitirmek üzereydik ama son anda yeni bir soru geldi.

Is üzere always “about to”? I’ve seen it elsewhere.

No—üzere has two common uses:

With -mek
- olmak: “about to” (as here).
Meaning “for the purpose of / with the aim of”: Sizi bilgilendirmek üzere arıyorum. (“I’m calling to inform you.”)
Also in set phrases like Görüşmek üzere! (“See you [soon]!”).

How would I negate this: “We were not about to finish the meeting”?

Use değil with the üzere olmak predicate:
Toplantıyı bitirmek üzere değildik.

What are some natural alternatives for the first clause?

Toplantıyı bitirmek üzereydik. (neutral/formal)
Tam bitirmek üzereydik. (adds “just”)
Toplantıyı bitirecektik. (planned/expected)
Toplantıyı bitiriyorduk. (in the process)
Toplantıyı bitirecekken… (just when we were about to…)

Why not use -mekteydik: Toplantıyı bitirmekteydik?

You can, but -mekteydik is a more formal/continuous form (“We were in the (ongoing) process of finishing”). It doesn’t carry the “on the verge” meaning as clearly as …mek üzereydik.

Is yeni bir soru geldi the same as “a new question came to mind”?

Context decides:

In a meeting context, yeni bir soru geldi usually means someone raised/asked a question (it came up).
If you want “came to (my/our) mind,” specify: Aklımıza yeni bir soru geldi.