An Istanbul court on Wednesday sentenced a prominent TV talent manager to 12.5 years behind bars for “seeking to overthrow the government” during street protests that swept Turkey in 2013, state news agency Anadolu reported.
Prosecutors had called for Ayse Barim, 55, to face life in jail for an alleged attempt to bring down the government — charges she has repeatedly denied since her arrest in January 2025.
The so-called Gezi protests erupted over plans to redevelop an Istanbul park, sparking a wave of nationwide unrest against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was prime minister at the time.
Prosecutors had accused her of “pushing” her actors to take part in the rallies.
She was briefly released in October but re-arrested a day later, in a short-lived move linked to serious health issues she has suffered since her arrest.
AFP
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