Learn Turkish: Bu gerçek bir hikâye.

In Turkish, the standard word order is Adjective + bir + Noun. While English says "a true story", Turkish says gerçek bir hikâye (literally "true a story"). Placing bir at the very beginning (bir gerçek hikâye) changes the meaning slightly to emphasize the number "one" ("one true story").

Where is the word for "is" in this sentence?

It is implied! In Turkish, the "to be" verb for the third person ("is" or "are") is often left out entirely in simple statements. You just say Bu gerçek bir hikâye ("This true a story"), and the "is" is automatically understood.

What does the little hat symbol on the 'a' in hikâye mean?

That symbol is called a circumflex. In words like hikâye, it tells you to pronounce the 'k' right before it softly (like a "ky" sound) and to lengthen the 'a' sound slightly. You will see this mark on some older words borrowed from Arabic and Persian.

Can gerçek also mean "real"?

Yes! Gerçek translates to "true," "real," or "actual" depending on the context. In this case, gerçek bir hikâye translates most naturally to "a true story."