Ablam akşam kebap yapmak istiyor, ben ise yanına salata hazırlıyorum.

Because Turkish usually builds possession into the noun itself.

• abla = older sister
• -m = my

So ablam literally means my older sister.

Also, abla specifically means an older sister. English sister does not show age, but Turkish often does:

• abla = older sister
• kız kardeş = sister / female sibling
• küçük kız kardeş = younger sister

You could say benim ablam for emphasis, but ablam already includes the meaning of my.

Yes — here akşam functions as a time expression by itself, so it can mean in the evening, this evening, or tonight, depending on context.

Turkish often uses time words directly as adverbs, without needing a preposition like English does:

• bugün = today
• yarın = tomorrow
• sabah = in the morning / morning
• akşam = in the evening / tonight

So ablam akşam... is perfectly natural.

Yes. Yapmak is the infinitive form, and it usually corresponds to English to do or to make.

• yap- = do / make
• -mak = infinitive ending

So:

• yapmak = to do / to make

In this sentence, kebap yapmak means to make kebab.

Unlike English, Turkish does not use a separate word like to before the verb. Instead, the infinitive meaning is built into the verb with -mak / -mek.

After istemek (to want), Turkish normally uses the infinitive form of the other verb.

So the pattern is:

• gitmek istiyorum = I want to go
• uyumak istiyor = he/she wants to sleep
• kebap yapmak istiyor = he/she wants to make kebab

This is a very common structure in Turkish:

• [verb in -mak/-mek] + istemek

İstiyor is the Turkish present-continuous form of istemek (to want), but in Turkish this form is often used where English would just use a simple present.

So in context:

• istiyor = he/she wants

This is normal Turkish usage. The -iyor form is used not only for actions happening right now, but also for current states, intentions, and ongoing situations.

Also, Turkish verbs do not show gender. istiyor can mean:

• he wants
• she wants
• it wants

Here we know it refers to she because the subject is ablam.

İse adds contrast. Here it means something like:

• as for me
• whereas I
• I, on the other hand

So the sentence is contrasting two people:

• Ablam ... istiyor
• ben ise ... hazırlıyorum

It is not just a plain and. It highlights the difference between what the sister wants to do and what the speaker is doing.

You may also see it attached in writing:

• ben ise
• bense

Both can express contrast.

Because Turkish often drops subject pronouns, but keeps them when they are useful for emphasis or contrast.

• hazırlıyorum already tells us the subject is I
• ben ise makes the contrast stronger: I, on the other hand

So ben is not required for grammar, but it is helpful for style and emphasis here.

Yanına literally means to his/her/its side or to its side.

It breaks down like this:

• yan = side
• -ı = his/her/its
• -na = to (dative, with a buffer n)

So:

• yanına = to its side

In food contexts, this often means:

• with it
• alongside it
• as a side dish for it

So yanına salata hazırlıyorum means the speaker is preparing salad to go with the kebab.

A more explicit version could be:

• kebabın yanına salata hazırlıyorum = I’m preparing salad to go with the kebab

It is made from:

• hazırla- = prepare
• -ıyor = present continuous
• -um = I

So:

• hazırlıyorum = I am preparing

This tense is very common in Turkish and is often used for:

• actions happening now
• actions in progress
• present plans or current activity

So here it can sound like:

• I’m preparing
• I’m getting ready
• I prepare in the sense of what I’m currently doing in the situation

Because Turkish usually puts the verb near the end of the clause.

A common basic order is:

• subject + object + verb

So:

• ben salata hazırlıyorum = literally I salad am preparing

That is normal Turkish word order.

Turkish is fairly flexible, but the verb often comes last, and objects like salata usually come before it.

Turkish does not have articles that work like English a/an/the.

So bare nouns like:

• kebap
• salata

can be understood from context as:

• kebab
• a kebab
• the kebab
• salad
• a salad
• the salad

The exact meaning depends on the situation, not on an article word. That is why Turkish learners of English often struggle with articles, and English speakers learning Turkish often wonder where they went — they simply are not used the same way.