Learn Turkish: Bu bizim tek kurtuluşumuzdu, iyi ki başardık. - This was our only escape, fortunately we succeeded.

İyi ki translates to 'fortunately' or 'it is a good thing that' and expresses relief. It acts as an evaluative declarative marker and is typically followed by a finite verb (a fully conjugated verb). Here, it pairs directly with başardık (we succeeded) to mean 'fortunately we succeeded.'

How do you break down the long word kurtuluşumuzdu?

It starts with the verb root kurtul- (to escape, be saved). The suffix -uş turns it into the verbal noun kurtuluş (escape or salvation). Then we add the possessive -umuz (our) and the past tense ending -du (was). Altogether it means 'was our escape.'

If kurtuluşumuzdu already contains the 'our' suffix, why do we also see bizim in the sentence?

You do not strictly need it grammatically. While the -umuz suffix alone is enough to show possession, adding the genitive pronoun bizim (our) adds emphasis. In this context, it stresses that it was our only way out, highlighting the desperation of the situation.

Where does iyi ki typically go in a sentence? Can I change the word order to Başardık, iyi ki?

İyi ki usually comes right before the verb or the specific clause it modifies. It sets the emotional tone before you hear what actually happened. While you might hear it tacked onto the end of a sentence as an afterthought in very informal speech, the standard and most natural position is before the verb.