Turkey’s leading medical association has urged authorities to release Ayşe Barım, a well-known manager of Turkish television stars facing trial on charges of attempting to overthrow the government during the 2013 Gezi Park protests, citing life-threatening health conditions that make her continued imprisonment unsafe.
In a medical opinion prepared at the request of Barım’s lawyer, the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) convened a panel of eight specialists to assess whether her health allowed her to remain in prison.
The TTB is a national professional body representing physicians and advocating for medical ethics, improved public health and patients’ rights.
The TTB report concluded that Barım suffers from multiple severe illnesses, including a brain aneurysm, narrowing and valve failure in the heart’s left ventricle due to a heart muscle disorder and sleep apnea. Each condition independently poses a risk of sudden death or permanent disability, the panel said. Anxiety and panic attacks, which have worsened in prison, further complicate her ability to use the medical devices necessary for her care, potentially triggering a fatal health crisis.
“Prison conditions are accelerating the deterioration of these illnesses,” the report stated, warning that without release Barım could be denied adequate medical care, a violation of her rights under Turkish and international law. The TTB referenced the United Nations’ Istanbul Protocol, the Mandela Rules and rulings from the European Court of Human Rights, which set minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners.
Barım, who had sought treatment from specialized clinics before her arrest, has refused procedures at state-assigned hospitals, insisting on undergoing surgery at the facility she had selected prior to her arrest.
The TTB said Barım’s condition requires treatment at advanced medical centers with experienced teams, noting that even under optimal circumstances such procedures carry significant mortality and disability risks. The association called for her immediate transfer to an environment where she can receive treatment from doctors of her choosing.
A separate legal assessment attached to the report argued that Barım’s health situation justifies replacing her pretrial detention with judicial supervision measures, such as reporting requirements, noting that she poses no flight risk.
Barım was arrested in January on allegations dating to 2013, when protests erupted over the government’s urbanization plans for Gezi Park in İstanbul, sparking a wave of demonstrations against Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who was prime minister at the time.
Prosecutors accused her of “pushing” her actors to take part in the anti-government demonstrations. The İstanbul 26th High Criminal Court in May accepted a 171-page indictment accusing Barım of “attempting to overthrow the government.” She faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
Barım remains in custody pending trial. Turkish authorities have not publicly commented on the TTB’s findings.
