Learn Hardcore Turkish: Telefonum çalıp duruyor, ama toplantı bitmeden açmayacağım. - My phone keeps ringing, but I won’t answer it until the meeting ends.

In this pattern, -ıp/-ip/-up/-üp + durmak is aspectual and means “to keep on doing X” or “to do X repeatedly/continually,” often with a nuance of mild annoyance. Here durmak does not mean “to stand/stop”; it functions like an auxiliary marking persistence. So çalıp duruyor ≈ “it keeps ringing.”

Why is there a -p after çal-? What is that suffix?

The -p is the converb -Ip (harmonizing as -ıp/-ip/-up/-üp). It links the main verb to an auxiliary like durmak to create this “keep doing” meaning: çal-ıp dur-uyor. You can use it with many verbs:

konuşup duruyor = keeps talking
sorup duruyor = keeps asking
bağırıp durma! = stop shouting all the time!

Could I just say Telefonum çalıyor? What’s the difference from Telefonum çalıp duruyor?

Yes.

Telefonum çalıyor: a simple statement that it’s ringing now.
Telefonum çalıp duruyor: it keeps ringing again and again, often implying it’s getting annoying or won’t let up.

Is çalıp duruyor negative or rude?

Not rude, but it can carry a mild exasperated tone. It emphasizes persistence/repetition, which often implies the speaker finds it bothersome.

Does çalmak really mean “to steal”? Why is it used here?

Çalmak is polysemous. It can mean:

“to steal”: Paramı çaldılar (They stole my money).
“to ring” (phone, bell, alarm): Telefon çalıyor (The phone is ringing).
“to play” (an instrument): Gitar çalıyorum (I play the guitar).
“to knock” (colloquial): Kapıyı çaldı (He/She knocked on the door). Context picks the meaning.

Why is there no object after açmayacağım? Shouldn’t it be telefonu açmayacağım or onu açmayacağım?

Turkish drops objects when they’re obvious from context. Since the phone is ringing, açmayacağım clearly means “I won’t pick up (answer it).” You may add the object for clarity:

Telefonu açmayacağım = I won’t answer the phone. Colloquial alternatives for answering:
Telefona bakmayacağım (I won’t pick up).
Telefona cevap vermeyeceğim (I won’t answer). Note: Telefonu açmak can also mean “to turn on the phone,” but in a ringing context it means “to answer.”

How is açmayacağım formed, and how do I pronounce it?

Morphology: aç-ma-y-acağ-ım

aç- (open) + -ma (negation) + buffer -y-
- -AcAk (future) + -Im (1st sg).
  Spelling follows vowel harmony: açmayacağım (not “açmıyacağım”).
  Pronunciation: the ğ lengthens the preceding vowel; roughly “ach-ma-ya-jaam” (IPA: [at͡ʃmaˈjɑd͡ʒaːm]).

What exactly does toplantı bitmeden mean?

-meden/-madan is a converb meaning “without ~ing / before ~ happens.”

toplantı bitmeden = “before the meeting ends.”
Examples:
Eve gitmeden (before/without going home)
Yemek yemeden (without eating)

Can I say toplantı bitmeden önce? Any difference?

Yes. -meden önce is the fully explicit form of “before.” Using -meden alone is common and idiomatic when the “before” meaning is clear from context. Both are correct here; -meden önce can feel a touch more explicit.

What about toplantı bitene kadar or toplantı bitinceye kadar? Are they the same as bitmeden?

They mean “until the meeting ends.”

bitmeden frames it as “not before the end happens,”
bitene (bitinceye) kadar highlights the stretch of time up to that endpoint.
In this sentence, they’re functionally equivalent: you won’t answer until it’s over.

Why not use bitince instead, as in Toplantı bitince açacağım?

You can. -ince/-ınca means “when/once.”

Toplantı bitince açacağım = once it’s over, I’ll answer (positive framing).
Toplantı bitmeden açmayacağım = I won’t answer before it’s over (negative framing).
Same end result, different emphasis.

Do I need to say Ben? What changes if I say Ben … açmayacağım?

You don’t need Ben; -ım on the verb already shows 1st person singular. Adding Ben adds emphasis/contrast: “I (for my part) won’t…”

Can I move toplantı bitmeden around? What word order sounds natural?

Adverbial time clauses are flexible, but most natural before the verb they modify:

Toplantı bitmeden açmayacağım (very natural).
Açmayacağım toplantı bitmeden (possible but marked/less natural). Keeping it before açmayacağım is best.

Why is there a comma before ama? Could it start a new sentence?

Both are fine in Turkish. You can write:

Telefonum çalıp duruyor, ama …
Telefonum çalıp duruyor. Ama …
Using a comma is common when connecting two clauses with ama.

Can I use durmak with other verbs the same way?

Yes. The pattern is productive:

yazıp duruyor (keeps writing)
arayıp duruyor (keeps calling)
şikâyet edip duruyor (keeps complaining)
unutup duruyorum (I keep forgetting)

Is there a difference between çalıp duruyor and çalmaya devam ediyor?

Both express ongoing repetition, but:

çalmaya devam ediyor is more neutral (“continues to ring”).
çalıp duruyor often implies you find it persistent/annoying (“it keeps ringing and won’t stop”).

Do I need benim in Telefonum? What about Benim telefonum?

Telefonum already marks possession with -um (“my”). Benim telefonum adds emphasis or contrast (“my phone, not someone else’s”). Both are correct.