Tan was launched by İş Bankası Publications (a publishing company of a state bank, İş Bankası) in 1935, and the first issue appeared on 15 July 1935.[1] The founding editor-in-chief was a well-known Turkish novelist Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu who served in the post until 1938.[2] He also became the publisher of the paper in 1936 through a publishing company he established.[1] The contributors of Tan during this period included Burhan Felek, Fikret Adil, Eşref Şefik, Refi Cevat Ulunay, Refik Halit, Niyazi Berkes, Sabiha Sertel[1] and Ahmet Emin Yalman.[3] The latter contributed to the paper from 1936, and his writings were anti-Fascist and anti-Nazi.[3] In 1938 the paper was closed down by the government for three months due to Yalman's articles in which he announced the deteriorating health of the Turkish President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.[3] Following this incident Yalman left the paper.[3]
Then Zekeriya and Sabiha Sertel began to guide the paper,[2][4] and Halil Lütfü Dördüncü funded it.[5] Notable contributors of Tan under the Sertels included Niyazi Berkes, his wife Mediha Esenel,[4] Aziz Nesin[6] and Behice Boran.[7]
Sertels adopted a critical approach against the government denouncing the slowness of the reform activities.[2] The paper also openly criticized the fascist ideology that was popular at the period.[4] As a result Tan became the most significant media outlet for leftists in Turkey[4] and had a pro-Soviet stance.[8] It published interviews with the leading international figures, including Bogdan Filov, prime minister of the Kingdom of Bulgaria, in 1940.[9]
The anti-Nazi approach of Tan led to its boycott by major German companies which had investments in Turkey, including Bayer and the Daimler Benz.[10] In the period of World War II Tan sold 10,000-12,000 copies making it one of the three best selling newspapers in Turkey.[1]
Hüseyin Cahit Yalçın published an article in Tanin newspaper on 3 December 1945 calling for a struggle against communism.[1] Upon this nearly 20,000 university students attacked the headquarters of Tan in Cağaloğlu, Istanbul, on 4 December.[1][4] In the attack the offices of the paper were destructed.[5] Shortly after this incident, which is called the incident of 4 December and the Tan raid, Tan ceased publication.[2][4]
The destruction of the paper's offices and its closure had very negative effects on the relations between Turkey and the Soviet Union, and on 8 December the Soviet Union officially condemned the raid during which a bookstore of a Soviet citizen in Istanbul was also destroyed.[8]
