Learn Turkish: Beklentilerin aksine, ilk numune çok başarılıydı. - Contrary to expectations, the first sample was very successful.

The word aksine acts like a possessed noun (literally "to its contrary"). To say "contrary to expectations", Turkish builds a possessive structure: "the contrary of expectations". Therefore, the preceding noun must take the genitive case -(n)in. You cannot simply say beklentiler aksine.

Could we use tersine instead of aksine here?

Yes! Beklentilerin tersine means exactly the same thing. Both aksine and tersine require the genitive case on the preceding noun or pronoun to mean "contrary to" or "unlike".

Why use numune instead of örnek for "sample"?

While örnek is a very common word meaning "example" or "sample" in a broad sense, numune specifically refers to a physical specimen, prototype, or test product. Since this sentence is likely about manufacturing, testing, or science, numune is the most precise word for a physical "first sample."

What is the exact suffix breakdown for başarılıydı?