01.09.2026 18:10
The statement of Arif Kocabıyık, who was caught under a truck trailer at the Kapıkule Border Gate while trying to flee abroad, drew attention. Kocabıyık, who said he wanted to make travel videos abroad, stated, 'Since I had a travel ban abroad, I decided on the spur of the moment and wanted to go based on the word of a person named Muhammed whom I knew here. Muhammed took me to a truck. I got under the truck. When I got in, there was another person there.'
Within the scope of the investigation conducted by the Edirne Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, a truck arriving at the Kapıkule Customs Area on August 31 to exit to Bulgaria was inspected. During the checks, two people were found hidden under the trailer. The examination revealed that these individuals were Arif Kocabıyık and Iranian citizen Shayan Peiman Samadi.
ARIF KOCABIYIK ARRESTED
Kocabıyık, who was found to have a travel ban abroad, and the truck driver Muhterem Altıntaş were taken into custody. After procedures in custody, Kocabıyık and Altıntaş were brought to the Edirne Chief Public Prosecutor's Office after a medical check-up. When Kocabıyık was being referred to the courthouse, he answered journalists' question 'Where were you going, Arif?' with 'Anamur'.
It was decided to arrest Kocabıyık, who was deemed to have violated the judicial control measure imposed by the Antalya 35th Criminal Court of First Instance by attempting to flee abroad. After the completion of procedures, Kocabıyık was sent to Edirne L-Type Closed Penitentiary Institution.
'I WANTED TO MAKE TRAVEL VIDEOS ABROAD'
In his statement to the prosecutor's office, Kocabıyık stated that he wanted to go abroad to shoot travel videos. Kocabıyık used the following statements: 'Asked under the defendant's former identity and rights: The case file for which a judicial control decision was issued against me concerns me. It is true that a judicial control decision was issued against me. I have been doing this job since 2018. Many adverse things have happened to me; I quit street interviews 2.5 months after my release. Then I started making travel videos. I now wanted to make travel videos abroad as well.
'BECAUSE I HAD A TRAVEL BAN ABROAD, I DECIDED TO GO UNDER THE TRUCK'
Because I had a travel ban abroad, I made a sudden decision and wanted to go based on the word of a person I knew here named Muhammet. I don't know the surname of this person named Muhammet. Because I had a travel ban abroad, this person named Muhammet took me to a truck. I got under the truck. When I got in, there was another person there. Shortly after we started moving, the truck stopped. When I saw the officer friends coming, I got out from under the truck on my own and spoke with the officers. I came out myself before any search was conducted. The images released to the press were taken an hour and a half after the incident.'