07.05.2025 13:42
Following President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's remarks about street interviews, Arif Kocabıyık, known for his street interviews, was taken into custody.
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The General Directorate of Security (EGM) announced that Arif Kocabıyık, known for his street interviews, was detained in Antalya due to insulting statements directed at the President and that legal action has been initiated against him. In a statement from EGM, it was noted that "A. K., the administrator of the account with the username ilavetv.07 on the Instagram social media platform, was detained by our Antalya Provincial Police Department due to the insulting statements he made during an interview directed at our esteemed President, and legal action has been initiated against the individual."
ERDOĞAN'S STATEMENT ON STREET INTERVIEWS
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reacted to street interviews during his speech at the 10th Anatolian Media Awards program. Erdoğan stated, "We live in a country where anyone who picks up a microphone and a camera sees themselves as a journalist and reporter. As we witnessed recently, these individuals are practically terrorizing the streets under the guise of street interviews. So much so that they dare to insult the nation when they have a microphone in hand. Just as a judge, prosecutor, or lawyer does not become one by wearing a robe, and just as a police officer or soldier is not accepted by wearing a uniform, and just as we do not call everyone who wears a stethoscope a doctor, not everyone who goes out with a microphone and camera is a journalist or a member of the press. Those who provoke the nation, incite the public, and especially those who insult our people cannot be called journalists, and even if they are, they are not referred to as journalists. We cannot see excuses like making money or getting a few more clicks as valid justifications. Those who do not respect the nation will not respect their work either. This issue, which harms the reputation of the journalism profession, must be addressed first by our press members and then by our relevant institutions," he said.
WHO IS ARIF KOCABIYIK?
Arif Kocabıyık was born in 1983 in the Elmalı district of Antalya. After graduating from a vocational high school, he worked as a wedding photographer for a while. He then started working as a security officer at Akdeniz University. He stepped into the media world with a local newspaper he founded called "Divan." However, this initiative did not achieve the expected success.
Kocabıyık established a YouTube channel called "İlave TV" with his brother-in-law Turan Kural in March 2018. The channel quickly gained interest and reached 11,000 subscribers in May 2018. With the increasing interest, the team began conducting interviews across Turkey, and by early 2019, the subscriber count rose to 90,000. As of July 2023, İlave TV's subscriber count reached 743,000. Arif Kocabıyık also authored a book titled "Courage is Contagious," in which he narrates this broadcasting journey.
He stepped into his political career by announcing his candidacy for the Antalya parliamentary candidate from the İYİ Party on March 18, 2023. He was listed as the 12th candidate for parliament from Antalya in the lists announced on April 9, 2023, but he was not elected.
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