Erdoğan points to Ayşe Barım without naming her: 'Cultural erosion'

Famous talent manager and founder of ID İletişim, Ayşe Barım, has come to the fore with allegations that she "causes monopolization in the sector and pushes actors who oppose her out of the market."

These allegations have sparked widespread repercussions on social media and various platforms. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has accepted the allegations appearing in social media posts and news reports as a formal complaint and has launched an ex officio investigation into Ayşe Barım.

TRAVEL BAN

A travel ban has been imposed on Barım to ensure the investigation is conducted properly. Additionally, other talent managers and casting agencies in the acting sector have also been placed under review. President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also made harsh criticisms of popular series platforms, especially Netflix, in his statement today, while pointing to Ayşe Barım without naming her.

Erdoğan said, "We are living in strange times. Neo-liberal cultural movements are crossing borders and penetrating every corner of the world, shaping the social fabric. Series, films, broadcasts, and many other contents found on digital platforms often cause processes that are difficult to compensate for, such as cultural erosion and identity decay." President Erdoğan included the following statements in his speech:

"These contents, which are served consciously, deliberately, and persistently, lead to the gaining of ground for LGBT and other unnatural movements, primarily degenderization policies. At the point we have reached, we can see this very clearly. The primary target of degenderization policies, in which LGBT is used as a battering ram, is the family and the sanctity of the family institution. No matter what anyone says. Turkey's stance on this matter is clear. There will never be any step back from this."

COMPETITION AUTHORITY EXAMINING 21 COMPANIES

Following the increase in allegations of monopolization in the sector, the Competition Authority has launched an investigation into 21 companies operating in the acting sector. The most talked-about name has been Ayşe Barım, one of the partners of ID İletişim. Due to her influence and position in the sector, Barım has become the center of the investigations.

WHO IS AYŞE BARIM?

Ayşe Barım began her education at the English Highschool for Girls. Later, she graduated from the Department of English Language and Literature at Boğaziçi University. After university, she worked in London for two years, receiving communication training and gaining experience in this field.

Having held various positions in the media and public relations sector between 1992 and 2001, Barım served in important roles during this period. Climbing the career ladder rapidly, Barım held the following positions:

Promotion Directorship,

Akmerkez Advertising and Public Relations Management,

Client Relations Directorship at Klan-Euro RSCG,

Deputy General Manager at 1 Numara Hearst,

General Management of DMC.

Having served as General Manager at İmaj Entertainment, where she was a partner, between 2001 and 2002, Barım gave a new direction to her career following this experience.

ID İletişim, which she founded in 2002, has become one of Turkey's most successful talent management and press relations agencies. Through her agency, Barım began offering services such as artist management, press relations, and social media consultancy. ID İletişim also provides press consultancy services for television series and feature films.