The newspaper was established in 1949 by Kemal Ilıcak, Sadettin Çulcu, and Ünal Sakman. With a nationalist and conservative editorial line, Tercüman was known for its stance against new Turkish words, which it described as “made-up language,” its editorial policy of uniting right-wing views, and its high-circulation serialized stories.
The newspaper's early writers included names such as Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu, Necip Fazıl Kısakürek, Ahmet Kabaklı, Tarık Buğra, Rauf Tamer, Nazlı Ilıcak, Güneri Cıvaoğlu, and Mehmet Barlas. In 1986, Taha Akyol became Editor-in-Chief. Following the death of its founder Kemal Ilıcak in 1993, the newspaper faced financial difficulties and closed in 1995.