Tarkan, full name Tarkan Tevetoglu, is a Turkish pop singer, songwriter, and music producer. He's widely known as "Megastar" or "Prince of Pop" in Turkey and is one of the best-selling Turkish artists of all time. He is one of the rare artists to achieve multi-platinum success across Europe and the Americas without singing primarily in English, and a defining figure in global World Music.
Tarkan was born on 17th of October 1972 in Alzey, Germany, to Turkish parents from Rize. He moved back to Turkey in the late 1980s and studied music at Uskudar Musiki Cemiyeti, where his vocal talent was noticed early. His first album "Yine Sensiz" made him a national star in Turkey in 1992. His signature song "Simarik" became a global hit in 1997 and was adapted by international artists (e.g, Holly Valance - Kiss Kiss). During his music career he sold over 40 million records worldwide, charted in Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, and won numerous awards including World Music Awards for Best-Selling Middle Eastern Artist in 1998.
Tarkan's notable albums are:
- Yine Sensiz (1992)
- Aacayipsin (1994)
- Ölürüm Sana (1997)
- Karma (2001)
- Dudu (2003)
- Metamorfoz (2007)
- Adimi Kalbine Yaz (2010)
- Ahde Vefa (2016 - Turkish classical music)
- 10 (2017)
- Kuantum 51 (2024)
Tarkan remains highly active, maintaining his Megastar status even after three decades. He has a very charismatic stage presence. His vocal style blends modern pop with traditional Turkish classical melodies. He is currently on a major concert circuit. In January and February 2026, he has been performing a series of sold-out shows in Istanbul, with upcoming dates scheduled for Abu Dhabi (Etihad Arena) in April and Germany (Dortmund) in July.
He's married to Pinar Dilek in 2016, and they have a daughter named Liya, born in 2018. Today, he lives mainly between Turkey and Europe. Tarkan is a dedicated activist. He is a prominent spokesperson for Doga Dernegi (Nature Association) and has used his influence to campaign for the protection of Turkish heritage sites and wildlife.