Sometimes, external circumstances leave you with no choice but to act. To express that someone is "forced to" or "finds themselves having to" do something, Turkish uses the noun durum (situation).
Current Necessity: -mAk durumunda
To describe an ongoing or current necessity, combine the full infinitive of the action (-mAk) with durumunda (in the position/situation of). Finally, attach a personal suffix (the copula) to match the subject.
Because durumunda ends in a vowel, remember to use the buffer letter -y- before suffixes that start with a vowel (like -yız for "we").
| We are forced to find a new supplier. | Yeni bir tedarikçi bulmak durumundayız. |
| There is no raw material, therefore we have to halt production. | Hammadde yok, bu yüzden üretimi durdurmak durumundayız. |
Being Forced: durumunda kalmak
To emphasize the feeling of being backed into a corner, or to describe an event where your hand was suddenly forced, use the auxiliary verb kalmak (to remain / to be left) instead of a simple personal suffix.
The structure -mAk durumunda kalmak (to be left in the position of having to) is highly common in the past tense to explain tough, unavoidable choices.
| In terms of raw material supply, we had to make radical decisions. | Hammadde tedariki açısından radikal kararlar almak durumunda kaldık. |
| Because of the new quotas, they had to postpone the shipment. | Yeni kotalar yüzünden sevkiyatı ertelemek durumunda kaldılar. |
Applying to Other Subjects
This structure adapts easily to any subject. For third-person subjects ("he/she/it" or general entities like "all suppliers"), no personal suffix is needed in the present tense.
| All suppliers are obliged to build up inventory. | Bütün tedarikçiler stok yapmak durumunda. |
When addressing someone formally or setting firm operational rules, attach the second-person suffix (-sınız / -siniz) directly to the phrase.
| To protect the company's operation, you have to comply with these rules. | Şirketin işleyişini korumak için bu kurallara uymak durumundasınız. |
Negating the Necessity
Because durumunda functions as a noun phrase in the present tense, you negate it using the separate word değil. Add the personal suffix directly to değil to express that someone is not forced or obliged to take a certain action.
| We are not in a position where we must accept these radical quotas. | Bu radikal kotaları kabul etmek durumunda değiliz. |
Reluctance and External Pressure
Finally, the kalmak variation frequently appears alongside expressions of reluctance, highlighting that the action was entirely driven by external pressures rather than personal intent.
| Even though I did not want to, I had to sell the inventory cheaply. | Her ne kadar istemesem de, stokları ucuza satmak durumunda kaldım. |
