Breakdown of Kısıtlamalara karşın tehdit giderek büyüdü.
büyümek
to grow
giderek
increasingly / gradually
karşın
despite, in spite of (formal alternative to rağmen)
kısıtlama
restriction
Questions & Answers about Kısıtlamalara karşın tehdit giderek büyüdü.
Why does kısıtlamalar have an -a at the end here?
The postposition karşın (despite/in spite of) always requires the noun before it to be in the dative case (-(y)e / -(y)a). So, the plural noun kısıtlamalar (restrictions) takes the dative suffix -a to connect with karşın, forming kısıtlamalara karşın (despite the restrictions).
Is there any difference between using karşın and rağmen in this sentence?
In terms of meaning, they are exactly the same and both take the dative case, so you could easily say kısıtlamalara rağmen. Karşın is just a slightly more formal or literary alternative, which fits well in contexts like news reports discussing restrictions and threats.
Giderek looks like it literally means "by going." How does it translate to "gradually" here?
You spotted the grammar perfectly! It is indeed the verb gitmek (to go) combined with the adverbial suffix -(y)erek (by doing). However, giderek has evolved into a fixed adverb in Turkish meaning "gradually," "progressively," or "increasingly." It is highly common when describing situations that evolve over time.
Can we use büyümek (to grow) for abstract things like a "threat" in Turkish?