The derivational suffix -li, -lı, -lu, -lü is a productive piece of language. It’s funny because it’s so transparent. It makes adjectives and nouns and as a rule expresses that the entity described possesses the object or quality of the stem or is characterized by it. It is a very handy form which often needs a complete sentence when translated into English. It’s closest equivalent is ‘with’.

a) The possessed object can be either concrete or abstract: at|lı ‘horsedrawn’ but also ‘horseman’, sevgi|li ‘dear’, mavi|li ‘in blue’, akıl|lı ‘the one with intelligence, clever’, hız|lı ‘fast’. A question word can be formed respectively: neli dondurma? ‘what kind of ice cream?’

b) –li, -lı, -lu, -lü also denotes where someone belongs: üniversite|li ‘university student’, köy|lü ‘villager’, Londra|’lı ‘Londoner’, bura|lı ‘from here’. It also forms the question nere|li|siniz? ‘where are you from?’

c) Attached to numerals it indicates groups: üç|lü ‘threesome’

d) An adjective which has been formed with –li, -lı, -lu, -lü can be further modified with an attribute: kısa saç|lı ‘short-haired’, dört çocuk|lu ‘with four children’, mavi elbise|li ‘with the blue clothes’, bindokuzyüzlü yıllar ‘the nineteen hundreds’. What is even more interesting is its use with compounds where the possessive suffix has to give way to it: deniz manzarası ‘sea view’ > deniz manzara|lı ‘with a sea view’, yatak odası ‘bedroom’ > üç yatak oda|lı ‘with three bedrooms’.

e) Double usage of this suffix produces adjectives kız|lı oğlan|lı bir grup ‘a group consisting of boys and girls’ or adverbs gece|li gündüz|lü çalışmak ‘to work day and night’.

[Göksel – Kerslake, Turkish: a Comprehensive Grammar 2005]

[http://www.turkishclass.com/forumTitle_51854]

This suffix also can be attached onto some infinitives by just dropping "k" in the end.

vurmak ----------> vurma + lı ----> vurmalı

vurmalı  çalgı ----> percussion instruments

*********************************

korumak ------->  koruma + lı -----> korumalı

korumalı  bölge ----> protected  area

*********************************

sürmek ---------> sürme + li -----> sürmeli

sürmeli  kapı ----> sliding door

Really? I don´t think I ever saw it before. Thanks for adding the information.

Another usage of this suffix can be seen attached on some pronouns as  fixed phrase.

sen + li    ben + li ---> senli benli ---> familiarly

                               senli benli olmak ---> to be[behave] very familiar [friendly]

                               Onunla senli benli olma ---> Don´t be very friendly with him.

****************************************************************

siz + li   biz + li  ------> sizli  bizli ----> in an unfamiliar way , keeping distance [opposite to senli benli ]

I have noticed that “LI” can be added to  –mek/-mak infinitive. I assume that meaning is by doing something, with doing something…

“Selam vermekle bir şey kaybetmezsin,  ama çok şey kazanırsın.”

It can be a noun clause as well:

Akşamları çok geçe kadar kalmalı ziyaretler

It´s not -li suffix but ile (=with).

In classical Ottoman Turkish this suffix can be seen in some loan words such as ;

Devlet + lü -----> The title that was given to high ranked statesmen [ministers, etc..]

Devletlü [ Devletli ]

**************************************

Haşmet + lü ---> The title that was given especially to foreign rulers, means ´majesty´, ´grandeur´

Haşmetlü [ Haşmetli ]

Note that these words didnt follow the vowel harmony

I have noticed the overdose of ü in the latter syllables in Ottoman Turkish words. It surprises me. I mean if you want to break the vowel harmony why do it in the most difficult way? ü is probably the vowel variant that takes the greatest energy when pronouncing it: it is labial, it is round... Usually when phonologic rules are broken speakers are looking for what is easier, not what takes more labour.

Breaking phonological rules by adding some extra ü´s looks like a linguistic fashion to me. Something fancy, something done for the sake of vanity. I wonder if they really pronounced it that way.

may it means: can you see how hard to pronounce even your adjectives! can you see how much effort i spend to say these! how huch value a give you! i do the hardest things for you, everbody can do the easiest ones!

asaletlü, rütbetlü, meveddetlü...

Sultan Abdülaziz´in ABD Başkanına gönderdiği mektup

http://www.umich.edu/~turkish/links/manuscripts/letter/letter.htm