Barış Akarsu

Barış Akarsu — Biography

Born on 29 June 1979 in Zonguldak, Barış Akarsu was a Turkish rock singer and actor who rose to prominence after winning the ATV talent show Akademi Türkiye in 2004. He followed the win with the album "Islak Islak" in January 2005, and in August 2006 released "Düşmeden Bulutlarda Koşmam Gerek," which included songs he wrote himself, cementing his place among the leading figures of the Anatolian rock movement. In 2006 he co-starred with Merve Sevi in the Star TV series Yalancı Yarim, for which he also recorded original songs, and in May 2007 he was named Best Rock Artist at the Kral TV Video Music Awards.

On 29 June 2007, while returning from a charity concert for children, he was critically injured in a car crash at Torba Junction near Bodrum. After five days in intensive care, he died from his injuries on 4 July 2007 at the age of 28. In 2008, the album "Ayrılık Zamansız Gelir," compiling studio recordings and songs he had performed for the series, was released posthumously.

Nearly two decades after his death, Akarsu's music and legacy remain widely remembered by fans; in 2026 a production about his life, "Barış Akarsu: Merhaba," aired on Turkish broadcaster ATV.