Learn Hardcore Turkish: Yeni proje için Ali terfi aldı. - Ali got a promotion for the new project.

İçin means “for” and introduces purpose/beneficiary. So yeni proje için = “for the new project” (i.e., with the purpose of staffing or serving that project). It can sometimes be read as a reason, but purpose is the default reading with için.

Why doesn’t Ali have any case ending?

Ali is the subject, which is in the nominative case in Turkish and is left unmarked. Only objects (when definite) and certain complements get case endings.

Why doesn’t terfi have the accusative ending (-i)?

Because it’s an indefinite direct object: terfi aldı = “(he) got a promotion.” If you make it definite, you add accusative: terfiyi aldı = “(he) got the promotion.”

Is terfi almak an idiom? Can I also say terfi etmek?

Yes. Both are common:

terfi almak = “to get a promotion”
terfi etmek = “to be promoted” They’re near-equivalents in everyday use. In formal HR language, you’ll also see causatives/passives like terfi ettirildi (“was promoted [by someone]”).

How do I say “Ali was promoted to manager”?

Use the dative for the target position:

Ali müdürlüğe terfi etti. = “Ali was promoted to (the) managership.”
Passive/causative style: Ali müdürlüğe terfi ettirildi. You can also say: Ali müdür oldu (“Ali became a manager”), which is simpler but doesn’t highlight the promotion process.

Does yeni proje mean “a new project” or “the new project”?

It’s ambiguous without an article in Turkish. Context decides. To make “a new project” explicit, say yeni bir proje için. To make it clearly “the new project,” use a demonstrative: bu yeni proje için.

Could the sentence also mean “because of the new project, Ali got promoted”?

It can be read that way, but if you want to be explicit about cause:

Neutral cause: Yeni proje nedeniyle/dolayı Ali terfi aldı.
Positive cause (“thanks to”): Yeni proje sayesinde Ali terfi aldı.
Negative cause (“because of, at fault”): Yeni proje yüzünden Ali terfi aldı (usually implies an adverse effect, so it’s odd here).

Why is the verb aldı at the end?

Turkish is typically SOV (Subject–Object–Verb). Neutral statements put the finite verb last. So Ali (S) terfi (O) aldı (V) is the default pattern.

What nuance does starting with Yeni proje için add?

Fronting Yeni proje için topicalizes the purpose/context. It sets the frame first (“As for the new project…”). The main stress typically falls just before the verb; with this word order, the object terfi is prominent.

If I want to emphasize that it was Ali (not someone else) who got promoted, how can I say that?

A few options:

Terfi alan Ali oldu (yeni proje için).
Yeni proje için terfiyi Ali aldı. (definite object; emphasizes who received that promotion)
Prosodic emphasis in speech can also mark focus, but these syntactic options make it clear in writing.

How does tense/aspect work in aldı? Could I say it differently?

Aldı is simple past (witnessed). Other useful forms:

alıyor (present continuous): “is getting”
almış (reported/hearsay past): “apparently/got (I heard)”
alacaktı (was going to get), almıştı (had gotten), etc.

How do pronouns work with için? Why is it Ali için but benim için?

With nouns/proper names, you use the bare form: Ali için, proje için. With personal pronouns, use the genitive: benim için, senin için, onun için, bizim/sizin/onların için. You do not say Ali’nin için here.

Is Ali terfi aldı exactly the same as “Ali got promoted”?

Functionally, yes. English uses a passive-like verb; Turkish prefers a light-verb construction (terfi almak) or the intransitive terfi etmek. Both map to “get/be promoted.”

Can I move yeni proje için to the end: Ali terfi aldı yeni proje için?

It’s possible in speech but sounds less neutral/natural. Adverbials like için-phrases usually appear before the verb. Prefer Ali yeni proje için terfi aldı or the original order.

How would I ask “Who got promoted for the new project?” and negate the sentence?

Question: Yeni proje için kim terfi aldı?
Negation: Yeni proje için Ali terfi almadı. (did not get a promotion)