Aziz Nesin was a Turkish writer, humorist and the author of more than 100 books. Born in a time when Turks did not have official surnames, he had to adopt one after the Surname Law of 1934 was passed. Although his family carried the nickname "Topalosmanoğlu", after an ancestor named "Topal Osman", he chose the surname "Nesin". In Turkish, Nesin? means, What are you?.

Tan was a Turkish newspaper based in Istanbul, Turkey, which existed for ten years between 1935 and 1945. The paper has been known for the attacks against its offices due to the allegations of being a communist publication in December 1945. It is also known for its editors, Zekeriya and Sabiha Sertel.