The present study deals with the presuppositional value of Turkish complement clauses, specifically those which determine on factivity-based selection of non-finite complementation. The term complementation here refers to the grammatical state in which a proposition functions as an argument of a matrix predicate (cf. Noonan [1985] 2007: 52, Dixon 2006: 4)). There are basically two types of complementation in Turkish: finite complement clauses (sentential complements) and non-finite ones (nominalized complements). Turkish complement clauses are mostly formed by using nominalizing means in their predicators, mainly the verbal nouns in -mAk/-mA and -(y)Iş and participles in -DIG and -(y)AcAG.

Concerning factivity, I am in accordance with Erguvanlı-Taylan’s approach (1998a), who adopted the lexical semantic interpretation of Kiparsky & Kiparsky (1971). Accordingly, a predicate is factive if it presupposes the truth of the proposition expressed in its complement clause. Under this account, verbs like regret and remember are classified as factive and the verbs like think and want as non-factive (cf. Coşkun 2010).

The majority of previous studies generally focused on -DIG, -(y)AcAG and -mAk/-mA complement clauses, and these gave little attention to -(y)Iş complement clauses outside of a few studies, like Kural (1993, 1998), Erdal (1998), van Schaaik (2001), Coşkun (2010, 2012b), Turan (2013) and (Karakoç & Herkenrath 2016). This study points out that with a -DIG/-(y)AcAG and -mAk/-mA complement clauses restricted distinction of factivity falls short. This is because there are factive matrix predicates which are able to embed all non-finite complement clauses, such as üzül- (regret) and kız- (be annoyed) respectively.

Concerning the semantic of -(y)Iş complement clauses I follow Erdal (1998), who pointed to the factive semantic of -(y)Iş complement clauses first with their textual task as topic, as in (1):

(1) [İnsanlardan kaç-ış-ım, içimden geçenlerin en küçük bir parçasını bile etrafıma sezdirmekten çekin-iş-im], bana sebepsiz ve manasız görünürdü. My keeping myself away from people, my reluctance of uttering even the smallest trace of my feelings to others, seemed to me without reason and pointless. (Erdal 1998: 63).

The present study shows that the factive value of -(y)Iş complement clause can be seen concretely in connection with the preceding parts of the text or discourse, as in (2) and (3):

(2) Şemi, evde birkaç döküntü eşya bırakarak ortadan kayboldu. (...) Ancak [herif-in bu kaybol-uş-un]-u başka felaketler izledi. After leaving some rubbish possessions at home, Şemi disappeared. (…) However, other misfortunes followed this man’s disappearance.

(3) Sustuk. [Sus-uş-umuz] epeyce sürdü. We kept silent. Our silence took a long time. [Ersen-Rash, Kişisel Derlem 2009] (Coşkun 2012b: 78)

This paper deals furthermore with factive predicates which embed -(y)Iş complement clauses. In connection with presuppositions (information backgrounded and taken for granted), empirical tests are applied to determine the conditions under which they keep their characteristics; these consist of negation, interrogation, conditional and modal contexts (cf. Kiparsky & Kiparsky 1971: 345, Chierchia & McConnell-Ginet 2000: 350, Beaver 2001: 18, 19, Meibauer et al. 2002: 226-227). The constancy of a presupposition under these tests determines the factivity of the matrix predicate. If the presupposition tests are applied to matrix predicate kız- (be annoyed), embedding -(y)Iş complement clause as in (4), the presupposition Ali bugün derse geç kaldı (Ali was late to the class today) remains constant.

(4) Hoca bugün [Ali’nin derse geç kal-ış-ın]-a çok kızdı. Today the teacher got annoyed that Ali came late to class. Presupposition: Ali bugün derse geç kaldı. Ali was late to the class today. (Coşkun 2010: 50, 2012b: 77)

The manner of an action is a further specific semantic of -(y)Iş (Banguoğlu 1986: 261), which is dealt here as a trigger of the presuppositional value (cf. Coşkun 2012b: 77), as in (5):

(5) Ayşe [dosyaları yerleştir-iş-in]-i unuttu. Ayşe forgot her putting away the files.’ (Kural: 1998: 415) Presupposition: Ayşe dosyaları bir şekilde yerleştirdi. Ayşe put away the files in whichever way [she could manage]).

Based on empirical tests and analyzed data, the present study shows that the scope of the factivity includes all non-finite complement clauses, which presuppose the truth of their propositions.