In English, we often discuss rumors "that" an event happened or statements "about" a decision. In Turkish, you can express exactly what formal information is about by combining factive noun clauses with topic postpositions.
Factive Noun Clauses
To form a noun clause ("the fact that..."), the subject takes the genitive case (-ın / -nin) and the verb takes a factive suffix plus a possessive ending:
- -dık / -dik for present/past actions (ayrıldığı, "his leaving")
- -acak / -ecek for future actions (veto edeceği, "his future vetoing")
Using "dair" and "ilişkin" (Concerning / Regarding)
The postpositions dair and ilişkin mean "concerning," "regarding," or "about." They are common in journalism, diplomacy, and formal declarations.
Both require the preceding word to be in the dative case (-a / -e). Because the noun clause ends in a vowel (the possessive suffix), insert the buffer consonant -n- before the dative suffix:
| Noun Clause | Dative Form | With Postposition | Literal Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ayrıldığı | ayrıldığına | ayrıldığına dair | concerning the fact that he left |
| azaldığı | azaldığına | azaldığına ilişkin | regarding the fact that it decreased |
| edeceği | edeceğine | edeceğine dair | concerning the fact that he will do [it] |
Here are examples of these postpositions attaching to present/past noun clauses:
| The embassy did not confirm the rumors about the ambassador leaving the country. | Büyükelçilik, büyükelçinin ülkeden ayrıldığına dair söylentileri teyit etmedi. |
| We must publish an official declaration about the tension decreasing. | Gerilimin azaldığına ilişkin resmî bir bildiri yayımlamalıyız. |
This works exactly the same way when discussing future events or predictions using the -acak / -ecek suffix:
| There is a claim that the president will veto the draft. | Başkanın tasarıyı veto edeceğine dair bir iddia var. |
Using "hakkında" (About)
You can also use hakkında ("about"). Unlike the previous postpositions, hakkında does not take the dative case. The noun clause remains in its standard possessive form.
| I read a report about the allies condemning the attack. | Müttefiklerin saldırıyı kınadığı hakkında bir rapor okudum. |
| The minister did not want to speak about the allies withdrawing from the country. | Bakan, müttefiklerin ülkeden çekileceği hakkında konuşmak istemedi. |
