DOCS · REFERENCE
Translation & Localization Guide
Living guidelines for translating KONT documents into Turkish (and beyond)
KONT-REF-003 · v0.1 · UPDATED 2026-04-10 · AHMET TURETMIS, FOUNDER · DRAFT
Translation & Localization Guide
Doc ID · KONT-REF-003 Version · 0.1 (draft — evolves with each translated document) Owner · Ahmet Turetmis, Founder Last updated · 10 April 2026
Purpose. This is a living document that captures how KONT documents should be translated into Turkish (and eventually other languages). It is not a dictionary — it is a voice guide. Every time we translate a document, we learn something about how to say things better. Those learnings come back here.
1. Core Philosophy
KONT documents in English are written in a specific voice: direct, warm, opinionated, and conversational. The Turkish versions must feel like they were written in Turkish, not translated from English.
The golden rule: A Turkish reader who has never seen the English version should feel like this document was written for them, by someone who thinks in Turkish.
What this means in practice
No literal translation. English and Turkish think differently. English front-loads the verb; Turkish puts it at the end. English loves short punchy sentences; Turkish flows better with longer, connected clauses. Respect the grain of each language.
No formal/bureaucratic Turkish. KONT documents are not government circulars. They do not use “ilgili hususta”, “mezkur”, “tarafından icra edilmek üzere” or any language that smells like a resmi gazete. If your grandmother wouldn’t understand a sentence, rewrite it.
No direct calques. Don’t force English idioms into Turkish. “Think outside the box” is not “kutunun dışında düşün”. Find the Turkish way to say it, or drop the idiom entirely and say the thing plainly.
Conversational, not casual. The tone is like a smart friend explaining something important over tea — not a professor lecturing, not a teenager texting. Respectful but not stiff. Clear but not dumbed down.
No devrik cümle (inverted sentences). Turkish has a natural Subject-Object-Verb order. Poetic inversions (putting the verb first, breaking expected word order) may feel literary but they hurt readability in documents people need to actually understand. Keep the verb where the Turkish reader expects it. Being clear is more important than being poetic.
Watch emotional charge of word choices. English words often have a single “feel,” but their Turkish equivalents can carry very different emotional weight. Example: “ambition” is positive in English, but “hırs” in Turkish is negative (greed, ruthless drive). The correct translation is “azim” (determination, perseverance). Always choose the Turkish word that carries the intended emotional charge, not the dictionary-default translation.
2. Voice Parameters
| Dimension | English voice | Turkish target |
|---|---|---|
| Formality | Semi-formal, direct | Samimi ama ciddi — “sen” dili değil ama “siz” de resmiyete kaçmamalı |
| Sentence length | Short, punchy | Slightly longer, connected — Turkish breathes in longer arcs |
| Emotion | Present but restrained | Can be slightly warmer — Turkish readers expect feeling |
| Technical terms | Used when needed, explained inline | Keep technical terms, explain in parentheses on first use |
| Passive voice | Avoided in English | Even more actively avoided in Turkish — Turkish passive is clunky |
| Lists & structure | Used for clarity | Same — Turkish readers appreciate structure |
3. Terminology Glossary
This table is the canonical term map. When translating, always use these terms for consistency. Add new entries as each document is translated.
| English | Turkish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cooperative | Kooperatif | Legal term, don’t translate as “ortaklık” |
| Settlement | Yerleşke / Yerleşim | Context-dependent: “yerleşke” for the physical site, “yerleşim” for the broader concept |
| Member (Core) | Asıl Üye | Turkish coop law term (Law 1163) |
| Member (Resident) | Yerleşik Üye | Not a direct legal term — created for KONT |
| General Assembly | Genel Kurul | Standard Turkish cooperative term |
| Board of Directors | Yönetim Kurulu | Standard |
| Supervisory Board | Denetim Kurulu | Standard |
| Surplus / Risturn | Risturn / Gelir Fazlası | ”Risturn” is used in Turkish coop law; “kar” (profit) is wrong for cooperatives |
| Equity stake | Ortaklık payı | |
| Community dues | Topluluk aidatı | |
| Neighbourhood | Mahalle | Natural Turkish mapping |
| Cluster (housing) | Küme | |
| Pillar | Temel İlke / Sütun | ”Sütun” for metaphorical use, “temel ilke” when referring to the seven pillars as principles |
| Manifesto | Manifesto | Borrowed word, widely understood |
| Bylaws | Ana Sözleşme | Turkish legal term for cooperative charter |
| Foundation (legal) | Vakıf | Turkish legal term |
| Direct democracy | Doğrudan demokrasi | |
| Self-sufficiency | Öz yeterlilik | |
| Permaculture | Permakültür | Borrowed, established in Turkish |
| Governance | Yönetişim | Distinct from “yönetim” (management) |
| Stakeholder | Paydaş | |
| Break-even | Başabaş noktası | |
| Revenue stream | Gelir kalemi | |
| Labour credit | Emek kredisi | KONT-specific term |
| Ambition | Azim | NOT “hırs” — “hırs” is negative (greed/ruthless drive); “azim” captures positive determination |
| Intentionality | Bilinçli kullanım / Niyet | Context-dependent; “niyetlilik” sounds awkward |
| Invitation | Davet | |
| Fracture | Kırılma | |
| Hypothesis | Hipotez | Borrowed, widely understood |
| Founder | Kurucu | In Turkish metadata/tables; English metadata keeps “Founder” |
This glossary grows with each translated document. When you encounter a term not listed here, add it after translation review.
4. Structural Rules
File naming: Turkish mirrors use the same doc ID with -tr suffix. Example: KONT-VIS-001-manifesto-tr.md
Frontmatter: Turkish docs carry language: tr and translation_of: KONT-VIS-001 pointing to the English canonical source.
Section numbering: Keep identical to English. A reader switching between versions should find the same content at §3.2 in both languages.
Tables: Translate content, keep structure. Column headers in Turkish.
Cross-references: Link to Turkish versions where they exist, English where they don’t (yet). Add a note: (İngilizce — Türkçe çeviri hazırlanıyor) for untranslated docs.
Legal terms: When a Turkish legal term exists (Genel Kurul, Ana Sözleşme, Kooperatif), always use it. Don’t invent translations for established legal vocabulary.
5. Translation Workflow
- Read the full English document before translating a single word
- Identify section-by-section what each part means, not just what it says
- Draft in Turkish thinking in Turkish — write what you’d say if explaining this to a friend
- Review against glossary — check all key terms match
- Read aloud — if it sounds like a translated document, rewrite
- Update this guide — add any new terms, tone learnings, or patterns discovered
6. Tone Calibration Log
This section captures what we learn from each translation. After each document is translated, add a brief note about what worked, what didn’t, and any adjustments to the approach.
| Document | Date | Learning |
|---|---|---|
| KONT-VIS-001 Manifesto | 2026-04-10 | ”Hırs” vs “azim”: English “ambition” maps to “azim” (positive determination), never “hırs” (negative, greedy). Always check emotional charge of Turkish word choices — dictionary translations can flip the meaning. |
| KONT-VIS-001 Manifesto | 2026-04-10 | Devrik cümle kills readability. First draft had too many inverted sentences (verb-first, subject-last). Restructured to natural Turkish SOV order. Poetic flow matters less than comprehension in these documents. |
| KONT-VIS-001 Manifesto | 2026-04-10 | Sentence structure tip: When English uses a fragment for emphasis (“Not escape to. Not retire to.”), Turkish handles this better by keeping the verb in place and using repetition within complete clauses (“Kaçacak bir yer değil. Emekli olunca sığınılacak bir köy değil.”). |
Change Log
| Version | Date | Author | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | 2026-04-10 | Ahmet Turetmis, Founder | Initial draft; core philosophy, voice parameters, starter glossary, workflow |