Learn Hardcore Turkish: Toplantı notlarını şablona göre kopyalayıp yapıştırdım; başlığı da çerçeve içine aldım. - I copied and pasted the meeting notes according to the template; I also put the title into a frame.

toplantı notları = toplantı (meeting) + not (note) + -lar (plural) + -ı (3rd person possessive used in such compounds: “meeting notes”)
-nı = accusative (with buffer -n because the word already has a possessive ending) So toplantı notları-nı means “the meeting notes” as a specific, definite object.

Can I drop the accusative and say Toplantı notları kopyalayıp yapıştırdım?

It’s possible but odd here. Without the accusative, it sounds generic/indefinite (“I copy-pasted meeting notes [some notes]”). In practice, you mark the object with accusative when you mean those particular notes.

Why kopyalayıp instead of kopyaladım ve yapıştırdım?

The converb -ıp/-ip/-up/-üp links same-subject actions compactly: “copying and [then] pasting.” It’s the most natural way in Turkish to express quick successive actions with one tense/person marking on the final verb.

What exactly does the -ıp/-ip/-up/-üp ending do, and why is it -ıp here?

It’s a linker meaning “and (then)” for same-subject verbs. Vowel harmony picks the form:

After a back unrounded vowel (a, ı) → -ıp
After a front unrounded (e, i) → -ip
After a back rounded (o, u) → -up
After a front rounded (ö, ü) → -üp Since kopyala ends in a, we get kopyala-y-ıp → kopyalayıp.

What’s the role of the -y- in kopyalayıp?

It’s a buffer consonant to separate two vowels: kopyala + ıp would create a vowel clash, so Turkish inserts -y-: kopyalayıp.

Could I just say kopyaladım, yapıştırdım?

Yes. Two finite verbs with a comma are fine and a bit more emphatic as two steps. Kopyalayıp yapıştırdım is smoother and more typical.

What does şablona göre mean, and why is şablon in the dative (-a)?

-a/-e + göre means “according to, in line with.” The postposition göre requires the dative: şablon-a göre = “according to the template.” Alternatives: şablona uygun (olarak).

Why is başlığı marked with -ı (accusative)?

It’s a definite direct object: başlık-ı = “the title.” Compare:

Başlık aldım = “I bought a title/a heading” (indefinite)
Başlığı aldım = “I took/put the title” (definite, known which title)

Could başlığı also mean “his/her title”? How do I tell?

Formally it could, because -ı can be possessive or accusative. Context disambiguates. If it were possessed and also a definite object, you’d normally see başlığını (“his/her title,” with the extra buffer -n- before the accusative). With a clear possessor: Onun başlığını aldım.

What does the clitic da/de do in başlığı da, and why da not de?

da/de (written separately) means “also/too/even.” It attaches to the word it follows and emphasizes that element: başlığı da = “the title, too.” Choose da or de by vowel harmony (back vowel → da, front → de). Unlike the locative suffix -da/-de, this clitic never turns into -ta/-te.

Why çerçeve içine and not çerçevenin içine? Are both correct?

Both are acceptable:

çerçeve içine is a common “light” compound pattern in technical/design language: “into the frame.”
çerçevenin içine uses the explicit genitive: “into the inside of the frame.” Meaning is the same here; the light form is concise and idiomatic.

Why use almak (“to take”) to mean “put into a frame”?

The verb phrase içine almak means “to take into, to enclose, to box.” In layout/design contexts, X’i çerçeve içine almak = “to enclose X in a frame/box.” Alternatives: çerçeve içine koydum/yerleştirdim; for physical framing, çerçeveledim.

Is çerçeveye aldım acceptable?

You may hear it, but çerçeve içine almak (or çerçevelemek for literal framing) is clearer and more standard. Prefer those.

Any pronunciation tips for kopyalayıp, yapıştırdım, başlığı?

ı (dotless i) = a close back unrounded vowel, like a relaxed “uh” [ɯ].
ş = “sh.”
ğ (yumuşak g) doesn’t make a hard sound; it lengthens/smooths the preceding vowel. başlığı ≈ ba-sh-lɯ-ɯ (the ı is slightly lengthened).
Roughly: kopyalayıp [kopja-la-‘yɯp], yapıştırdım [ja-pɯ-ʃtɯr-dɯm], başlığı [baʃ-lɯː-ɯ].

Why does başlık become başlığı (k → ğ)? Does that always happen?

Many native words ending in -k soften when a vowel-initial suffix is added: başlık → başlığı, kulak → kulağı, yaprak → yaprağı. Some words (especially loans) don’t, or change to -g after certain consonants: renk → rengi. So it’s common but not universal.

What is yapıştırdım built from?

yapış (to stick) + -tır (causative “make stick”) + -dı (past) + -m (1sg) → yapıştırdım = “I pasted.”

What’s the semicolon doing here? Could I use a period or comma?

It links two closely related independent clauses. A period would also be fine. A comma alone would be weaker and is less standard between full clauses. Turkish uses the semicolon much like English does.

Can I move şablona göre elsewhere in the sentence?

Yes; adverbials are flexible:

Şablona göre toplantı notlarını kopyalayıp yapıştırdım.
Toplantı notlarını şablona göre kopyalayıp yapıştırdım. (original)
Toplantı notlarını kopyalayıp şablona göre yapıştırdım. (more marked focus on the pasting)

Is kopyala-yapıştır yaptım a natural alternative?

Colloquially yes: Kopyala-yapıştır yaptım = “I did copy-paste.” It’s informal and treats it as a named action. When you add modifiers like şablona göre, the converb construction is usually smoother.