Hi, here I am the voice of reason!
Elisa, if all else fails, take your palto/manto/anorak veya ceket into to the appropriate shop. Place it on the counter, indicate with you hands the broken zipper and smile a lot, nodding your head and shrugging expressively. This will get you everything you want in practically every situation, because if there is one thing about turks that exceeds every other nationality is that they really want to help you.

You can also throw back your head a bit uttering CIK! in a loud way simultaneously raising your eyebrows and rolling your eyes a bit - another completely non verbal method of communication which I guarantee will get results!

Lyndie,
I liked your "explanation" best
Sorry guys!!!

yeah lyndie... i actually did something like that before when i was trying to express the word "both"... i wanted to buy both of these 2 tops and well... i couldnt think of the word.. that moment will haunt me forever hihi

so... ok then... in a restaurant... why is it that waiters ask you stuff like, "ondan yer misiniz?" (which lit. means "will u eat from that?" right?)

can u say that in shops too...? i dont know how to explain myself... whats something which there is a lot of and u just want to buy 1... hee.... cigarettes for eg. (1st thing which came to mind!).... how can u go into a shop and ask to buy something like this without sounding all proper.. i want to learn turkish like it was my mother tongue.. so, could i use that "ondan" thang here?... possibly in conjunction with "alim" ...??
please help me.. im confusing myself here!!

well???? im really wondering about this one.. please please help me!!!

Well done Lyndie !