From TV series to Gezi: Ayşe Barım's WhatsApp messages revealed! Monopoly allegations strengthened

WhatsApp correspondence of famous talent manager Ayşe Barım, who was arrested as part of the Gezi Park investigation on charges of "aiding an attempt to overthrow the government," has been revealed. The messages, which strengthen allegations of monopolization and pressure on producers in the sector, show that managers were acting in concert to put producers in a difficult position.

According to a report by Sabah, the correspondence in WhatsApp and email groups created by Barım highlights that some managers were intimidating producers and emphasizing that the sector was entirely under their control.

WHAT IS IN THE WHATSAPP MESSAGES?

In group conversations, manager Gülden Avşaroğlu expresses their power over the sector with the following words:

"We are 60 companies, friends. Realize your power. Will they cast from Mayadrom? It will be solved in a maximum of 48 hours. The actor will also realize that this missing 10 percent will return to them after a while, if they have any math."

Manager Kahraman Özden, arguing that producers cannot resist this power, uses the following expressions:

"They even shot themselves in the foot, in a way. As Gülden said, 60 companies came together and they cannot resist such power. Since we are all acting with a joint decision, I have no doubt that our actors will also be on our side."

Gülden Avşaroğlu also claims that a TV series cast cannot be formed outside of the talent agencies, saying, "If they can form a TV series cast outside of these companies, let them go ahead and shoot it, we'll watch."

IS IT A COMPETITION VIOLATION?

It is also seen in the correspondence that some managers warned that the organization might be contrary to competition laws. Manager Ömer Duran, stating that the issue carries legal risks, uses the expression, "This could be problematic in terms of competition law." However, Avşaroğlu responds to this warning by saying, "But this is how we work, I am stating my company principle," implying that the pressure continues.

Other managers also state that producers have begun to question the stance of the agencies. Rabia Sultan Düzenli says, "I think the producers asked us for the list of agencies that made this decision. We can give a clear list on Wednesday. Well, it's normal, they are asking who they can get actors from. Who is breaking the chain, they ask."

It is stated that manager Neslihan Uzer went further, using the expression, "Give it away, 40 people are already following. They will make 2 TV series casts with 10 agencies. I wonder what will happen then?"

Tuncay Altunoğlu sends a message saying, "He who turns back from the rice pilaf should have his spoon broken."

AYŞE BARIM'S DEFENSE

Manager Ayşe Barım appeared before the judge as part of the investigation. Denying the accusations against her, Barım said, "I am a victim of my success story being turned into a shame story in this way."

However, the court stated that the investigation is continuing on a large scale, taking into account HTS records and the contents of the summary of proceedings. Evaluating all these elements, it was concluded that judicial control measures would be insufficient, and it was decided that Barım's detention would continue.

TOLGA KAREL: AN OPERATION THAT WAS LONG OVERDUE

Actor Tolga Karel, who lives in America, made striking statements regarding the investigation launched into manager Ayşe Barım and her team. Stating that the allegations of monopolization in the sector have been known for a long time, Karel evaluated the investigation as follows:

"The Ayşe Barım incident, as I said, is not such a simple incident... There are actor brothers and sisters of ours who committed suicide because of monopolization. There are people whose rights were violated, whom casting directors treated like dogs... I think it is an operation that was long overdue. I applaud the prosecutors for not being influenced by any power, for this honorable stance, and for the decision they made."