This is the 1595th most frequent Turkish word.
ortada
"Ortada" means "in the middle" or "in plain sight" in English.
'Ortada' means 'in the middle' or 'around forming a center'. Here it expresses location.
Ortada kimse yoktu.
There was nobody in the middle.
'Ortada' translates to 'evident' or 'obvious'. It is used idiomatically to mean 'apparent'.
Bu durumda suçlu çok açık bir şekilde ortada.
In this situation, the culprit is very clearly evident.
'Ortada' implies 'circulating' or 'present in discourse', used metaphorically for something being talked about by many.