Dünkü toplantı uzadığı halde ben notları bitirdim.

Dünkü means yesterday’s or the one from yesterday.

It is formed from:

• dün = yesterday
• -kü / -ki = a suffix that turns time/place words into something like an adjective

So:

• dünkü toplantı = yesterday’s meeting / the meeting from yesterday

This is very common in Turkish:

• bugünkü ders = today’s lesson
• yarınki sınav = tomorrow’s exam
• evdeki çocuk = the child in the house

Here, dünkü describes toplantı.

Both patterns can exist in Turkish, but they are built differently.

• dünkü toplantı = yesterday’s meeting / the meeting from yesterday
• dünün toplantısı would sound more like the meeting of yesterday, which is more formal or less natural in many everyday contexts

For time expressions like yesterday, today, tomorrow, Turkish very often uses -ki:

• dünkü
• bugünkü
• yarınki

So in this sentence, dünkü toplantı is the most natural everyday phrasing.

The sentence breaks down like this:

• Dünkü toplantı = yesterday’s meeting
• uzadığı halde = although it went on for a long time / although it lasted longer
• ben = I
• notları = the notes
• bitirdim = I finished

So the structure is:

[Although-clause] + [main clause]

More literally:

Yesterday’s meeting, although it lasted a long time, I finished the notes.

More natural English:

Although yesterday’s meeting ran long, I finished the notes.

Uzadığı halde means although it got longer, although it lasted long, or more naturally, although it ran long.

It comes from:

• uzamak = to become long, to lengthen, to run long
• uzadığı = that it lasted/ran long
• halde = in the state/condition of

Together, -dığı halde is a common pattern meaning:

• although
• even though
• despite the fact that

So:

• uzadığı halde = although it lasted longer / although it ran long

In context, it means the meeting took longer than expected, but the speaker still finished the notes.

This is a very common point of confusion, because several pieces are packed into one word.

Start with:

• uzamak = to become long, to run long

Then build:

• uza-
• -dık / -dik / -duk / -dük = a verbal noun/participle suffix
• -ı / -i / -u / -ü = a possessive ending here agreeing with a 3rd person subject

So the underlying form is roughly:

• uza-dık-ı

Because of sound change, k becomes ğ before a vowel:

• uzadığı

This kind of form often appears in subordinate clauses:

• geldiği zaman = when he/she came
• yaptığı şey = the thing he/she did
• uzadığı halde = although it ran long

You do not need to translate every piece literally each time. It is best to recognize -dığı halde as a set pattern meaning although/even though.

Halde comes from hal = state, condition.

In grammar, -dığı halde works as a fixed expression meaning:

• although
• even though
• despite the fact that

So while halde literally relates to state/condition, in real usage you should usually understand the whole chunk together:

• uzadığı halde = although it ran long

Other examples:

• Yorgun olduğu halde çalıştı. = Although he was tired, he worked.
• Yağmur yağdığı halde çıktık. = Although it was raining, we went out.

So halde helps create the contrast between the first clause and the result in the second clause.

Yes, ben could be omitted.

Turkish often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the subject:

• bitirdim = I finished

So the sentence could also be:

• Dünkü toplantı uzadığı halde notları bitirdim.

That would still mean I finished the notes.

When ben is included, it often adds emphasis or contrast, something like:

• I still finished the notes
• as for me, I finished the notes

In this sentence, ben slightly highlights the speaker’s effort despite the long meeting.

Notları has the accusative ending because it is a definite/specific direct object.

• notlar = notes
• notları = the notes

Turkish usually marks a direct object with the accusative when it is specific or definite.

Compare:

• Notlar bitirdim ❌ not correct here
• Not bitirdim ❌ also not correct here
• Notları bitirdim = I finished the notes

A useful comparison:

• Kitap okudum. = I read a book / books
• Kitabı okudum. = I read the book

So notları bitirdim means the speaker finished a specific set of notes.

Because the verb here is bitirmek, not bitmek.

There are two related verbs:

• bitmek = to finish, to come to an end
• bitirmek = to finish something, to complete something

So:

• Toplantı bitti. = The meeting ended.
• Notları bitirdim. = I finished the notes.

Here the speaker is actively completing an object, the notes, so Turkish uses the causative/transitive form bitirmek.

• bitir-dim = I finished

If you said bittim, that would mean something very different, like I am finished / I’m done / I’m exhausted, depending on context.

Yes, it is very natural.

Uzamak literally means to get longer or to be prolonged. With events such as meetings, lessons, conversations, or trips, it often means:

• to run long
• to take longer than expected
• to drag on

So:

• Toplantı uzadı. = The meeting ran long.
• Ders uzadı. = The class went long.
• Konuşma uzadı. = The speech went on too long.

In this sentence, uzadığı halde suggests the meeting took more time than expected, but the speaker still managed to finish the notes.

It expresses concession: something happened that might have prevented the result, but the result happened anyway.

Pattern:

• Even though X happened, Y still happened.

Here:

• X = the meeting ran long
• Y = I finished the notes

So the speaker is emphasizing achievement despite difficulty.

That is exactly the kind of meaning -dığı halde is good for.

Yes. A few natural alternatives are possible, with slightly different tone:

• Dünkü toplantı uzamasına rağmen notları bitirdim.
  = Despite yesterday’s meeting running long, I finished the notes.

• Dünkü toplantı uzun sürmesine rağmen notları bitirdim.
  = Although yesterday’s meeting lasted a long time, I finished the notes.

• Dünkü toplantı uzadı ama notları bitirdim.
  = Yesterday’s meeting ran long, but I finished the notes.

Your original sentence is fully natural, and -dığı halde gives it a slightly more formal or written feel than simple ama.

A few very useful patterns appear here:

1. Time word + -ki

   • dünkü = yesterday’s
   • bugünkü = today’s
   • yarınki = tomorrow’s

2. -dığı halde = although / even though

   • uzadığı halde
   • geldiği halde
   • bildiği halde

3. Definite object + accusative

   • notları bitirdim = I finished the notes

4. Subject pronouns are optional

   • bitirdim already means I finished

If you learn those patterns, this sentence becomes much easier to understand and build from yourself.