Barış Akarsu (June 29, 1979 – July 4, 2007) was a
Turkish Anatolian rock
Anatolian rock (), or Turkish psychedelic rock, is a fusion of Turkish folk music and rock. It emerged during the mid-1960s, soon after rock groups became popular in Turkey. The most widely known members of this genre include Turkish musicians ...
singer and actor who rose to fame after winning the television series ''Akademi Türkiye'' (Academy Turkey) in July 2004. He released two studio albums in three years and was also acting in television series ''Yalancı Yarim'' (My Lying Lover) which aired on
Star TV.
On June 29, 2007, he was seriously injured in a car crash on his way back from a charity concert for children. After spending five days in an intensive care unit, he died of complications from the crash on July 4, 2007, at the age of 28. He donated most of his concert money.
Early life
Akarsu was born and raised in
Bartın
Bartın is a city in northern Turkey, near the Black Sea. It is the seat of Bartın Province and Bartın District.[Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...]
. He was a huge fan of rock music, listening to music from
Ruhi Su,
Cem Karaca and
Barış Manço as well as Western acts like
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
or
U2.
His friends and Akarsu gathered at the seaside of Amasra to chat and sing songs while playing guitar. There, Akarsu formed his early ties with singing and playing instruments. Music always played a crucial part in his life. His other big ambition was
tae kwon do
Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In a ...
, basketball and sailing (in high-school he was sailing professionally in Amasra Sailing Club).
Musical career
Before rising to fame with his musical and screen projects, Akarsu worked as an entertainer in beach resorts in
Antalya
Antalya is the fifth-most populous city in Turkey and the capital of Antalya Province. Recognized as the "capital of tourism" in Turkey and a pivotal part of the Turkish Riviera, Antalya sits on Anatolia's southwest coast, flanked by the Tau ...
. Later he moved to
Karadeniz Ereğli
Karadeniz Ereğli (or Ereğli) is a city in Zonguldak Province of Turkey on the Black Sea shore. It is the seat of Ereğli District. , where he started singing regularly at bars with Ilhami Yeni, the local television and radio shows before joining the TV show ''Academy Turkey''. Shortly after winning the show, he moved to
Istanbul
Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
to pursue a career in music.
Barış Akarsu released his first album ''
Islak Islak'', followed by his second ''
Düşmeden Bulutlarda Koşmam Gerek'' released in August 2006. He appeared on music videos for his songs "Islak Islak", "Kimdir O", "Mavi" and "Amasra" from his first and "Vurdum En Dibe Kadar" and "Yaz Demedim" from his second album. He composed and wrote the lyrics for "Ben" and "Yeter Be" from his second album. At the time of his death, he was working on his unreleased third album.
Acting career
Akarsu's first and only appearance as an actor is in the popular Turkish comedy series ''Yalancı Yarim''. In the show, Akarsu portrays a wealthy young man, Tarık Tekelioğlu, who goes to Italy for his education but rather becomes the most successful
rally
Rally or rallye may refer to:
Gatherings
* Political demonstration, a political rally, a political demonstration of support or protest, march, or parade
* Pep rally, an event held at a North American school or college sporting event
Sport ...
driver.
Also, Akarsu acted in F5 Malt Drink commercial in 2005.
Death

On June 29, 2007, Akarsu and two friends were on their way to a celebration party for his birthday in
Bodrum
Bodrum () is a town and district of Muğla Province, Turkey. About 200 thousand people live in the district, which covers 650 km2 and includes the town. It is a port town at the entrance to the Gulf of Gökova. Known in ancient times as Hal ...
. Their car collided with a truck at an intersection with no traffic lights. The driver of the car, Zeynep Koçak, and passenger Nalan Kahraman died on the day of the accident. Barış Akarsu was transported to a hospital with severe injuries. On July 4, 2007, Akarsu died due to complications arising from the accident.
The location of the accident is a crossroads at the end of a long and straight downhill grade. As a result of protests decrying the lack of traffic lights at that dangerous intersection, new lights have been installed. And also the intersection's name changed to "Barış Intersection" after his death.
CNN Turk July 1, 2007
Discography
Notes
References
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akarsu, Baris
1979 births
2007 deaths
Turkish male television actors
Turkish rock singers
Road incident deaths in Turkey
People from Bartın
Star Academy winners
Turkish rock musicians
Folk rock musicians
21st-century Turkish male singers
Anatolian rock musicians
Turkish male guitarists