Syntactic peculiarities of Turkish news materials

Abstract

This article reviews the syntactic peculiarities of Turkish news materials determined as result of analysis of the most reputable Turkish online news sources, such as Anadolu Ajansı, Hürriyet, Cumhuriyet etc. The key syntactic peculiarity of news materials is the direct order of words in sentences (SOV) without inversion. News reports usually represent a set of simple sentences, which are complicated by the extended sentence parts (most commonly with forms ending with -DIğI/-AcAğI) and homogeneous parts of the sentence. News materials are characterized by the use of simple sentences, in which the subject is expressed in forms ending with -DIğI/-AcAğI or the verb name ending with -mA, while the predicate is in passive voice. Extended participial clauses with a semi-predicative meaning, pronounced present or past participle ending with -An. The subordinate word of such participial clauses is generally the subject of the superordinate clause. The article examines the formats of direct and indirect speech, lists the most commonly used phrases that introduce direct speech, as well as provides the examples of sentences that contain both direct and indirect speech. The author also cites statistical data on the prevalence of sentences containing direct and indirect speech in news materials. The article lists grammatical structures typical for sociopolitical discourse. These include constructions with the verb ‘bulunmak’ (to have), the peculiarity of which lies in replacement of verbs such as ‘ifade etmek’ (to express), “çağırmak” (to call) , etc. by compound nominal structures in locative case, which forms a single-affix ezāfe with the previous phrase and the verb ‘bulunmak’ (to have). Construction is -DIğI görüşünde or -AcAğI görüşünde.is commonly uses alongside constructions with the verb ‘bulunmak’.