Tarkan Tevetoğlu, known by the stage name Tarkan, was born on 17 October 1972 in the town of Alzey, in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany. He is originally from Rize, İkizdere. The fifth child in a family of six, Tarkan’s name was inspired by a character from a favorite Turkish cartoon novel. In 1986, artist returned with his family to together Türkiye and settled in the Karamürsel district of Kocaeli, where he began developing an interest in music. He received musical training at the Kocaeli Musiki Cemiyeti during his high school years.

Beginning of His Career

Tarkan launched his professional music career in 1992 with his debut album Yine Sensiz, released under the İstanbul Plak label. The album attracted attention with tracks such as "Kıl Oldum Abi" and "Kimdi" in the place genre and brought a fresh breath to Turkish pop music. His second album, Aacayipsin, released in 1994, marked a major breakthrough, achieving sales of 2.5 million copies in Türkiye and approximately 3.5 million worldwide.

International Breakthrough and Albums

The 1997 album Ölürüm Sana became a turning point in Tarkan’s career. The track "Şımarık" from this album charted in numerous countries, beginning with Europe, and generated widespread acclaim. In 1998, the album was released internationally with English and French versions included. Through this album, Tarkan reached a large audience across Europe, Asia, America and Australia.

Covers of Tarkan’s albums "Karma" and "Ölürüm Sana". (Tarkan Official Website

The 2001 album Karma featured songs such as "Kuzu Kuzu", "Hüp" and "Taş", which remained at the top of music charts for extended periods. With this album, Tarkan evolved his musical style by blending pop, electronic and oriental melodies.

Released in 2007, Metamorfoz reflected the artist’s more experimental side, with a strong emphasis on electronic instrumentation. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, the album sold over 200,000 copies in Türkiye.

The 2010 album Adımı Kalbine Yaz received positive critical reception and achieved commercial success with over 355,000 copies sold. The track "Sevdanın Son Vuruşu" became one of the most streamed songs of the year on digital platforms.

In 2016, Tarkan released the album Ahde Vefa, featuring interpretations of classic Turkish art music songs, reaching a different audience through his unique renditions. In 2017, he returned to pop music with his studio album 10, which ranked among the best-selling albums in Türkiye.

His Position in the Industry and Artists He Has Supported

Throughout his career, Tarkan has supported numerous artists and provided backing vocals on several projects. In the 1990s, he notably provided backing vocals on Mirkelam’s song "Her Gece". He also wrote the lyrics and music for Yıldız Tilbe’s song "Havalım" and contributed backing vocals. He provided backing vocals on Metin Arolat’s song "Elveda". In addition, Murat Boz, who performed backing vocals for Tarkan, later launched his own solo career and became a pop artist.

Awards and Achievements

Tarkan has received numerous music awards in Türkiye and internationally throughout his career. Since the 1990s, he has won awards in categories such as "Best Male Pop Artist", "Song of the Year", and "Best Album" from institutions including King TV Video Music Awards, Altın Butterfly, and the Magazine Journalists Association. He was honored with awards for the songs "Şımarık" in 1998, "Kuzu Kuzu" in 2001, and "Sevdanın Son Vuruşu" in 2011. He also achieved commercial success with the albums Karma, Adımı Kalbine Yaz, and 10. According to MÜ-YAP data, Adımı Kalbine Yaz was among the best-selling albums of its release year. In the 2000s, Tarkan achieved high streaming numbers on digital platforms, a success recognized by several award platforms.

Internationally, he won the "Best Selling Turkish Artist" award at the 1999 World Music Awards in Monaco. He was honored with awards such as "Foreign Artist of the Year" and "Song of the Year" at events like HIT FM and The Pud Awards in Russia, and his songs such as "Şımarık" and "Dudu" charted in various countries.

Social and Cultural Impact

Tarkan is not only a figure in the music world but also an active participant in social spheres such as environment and animal rights. He is particularly known for his support of campaigns related to animal rights and environmental awareness.

Additionally, Tarkan is regarded as one of the most successful pop artists to have taken Turkish music abroad, having performed concerts internationally and had his music translated into many languages. Songs such as "Şımarık", "Şıkıdım", and "Kuzu Kuzu" attracted significant attention in Europe and Latin America, with some tracks being reinterpreted in other countries.

Personal Life

In 2016, Tarkan married Pınar Dilek, with whom he had been in a long-term relationship. The couple welcomed a daughter named Liya in 2018.