Substitution conjunction (-mak yerine)

Substitution: "Instead of" (-mak yerine)

To express doing one action instead of another, Turkish uses the full infinitive of the verb (-mak or -mek) followed by the postposition yerine (literally "in its place").

• tartışmak yerine (instead of arguing)
• imzalamak yerine (instead of signing)

Indirect Commands and Reactions

When expressing feelings, reactions, or giving permission for someone else's action, Turkish turns that action into a noun phrase.

First, add the short verbal noun suffix (-ma or -me) to the verb stem. Next, add a possessive suffix to show who is performing the action. Finally, add the dative case (-a / -e or -ya / -ye) because verbs like izin vermek (to allow), kızmak (to get angry at), or şaşırmak (to be surprised at) require their objects to take the dative.

If you explicitly name the person or group performing the action, they take the genitive case (-ın / -in), acting grammatically as the "owner" of the action.

• heyet (delegation) -> heyetin... vermesine (to the delegation's giving...)
• askerler (soldiers) -> askerlerin... vermelerine (to the soldiers' giving...)

Diplomacy in Action

Now let's bring the substitution conjunction and these indirect actions together in the context of peace negotiations.

This structure is highly versatile. You can pair it with other dative-requiring verbs like neden olmak (to cause) or yardımcı olmak (to help) to map out complex causes and compromises.