Arif Kocabıyık, a journalist known for his street interviews, was arrested by a court on Saturday on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkish media reported.
Kocabıyık, owner of the İlave TV YouTube channel, was detained in the western province of Çanakkale on Friday, the same day Hasan Köksoy, another YouTube journalist, was arrested. Kocabıyık’s arrest is reportedly linked to a street interview with Halil Kürklü in Antalya.
Kürklü was arrested along with Köksoy for reciting a poem during one of Köksoy’s street interviews. Both were accused of insulting President Erdoğan and “inciting hatred among the public.”
Kocabıyık had previously been detained three times –– on May 7, 15 and 28 –– for allegedly insulting President Erdoğan, but was released each time.
Kocabıyık and Köksoy had also been detained in 2021, following a complaint by Justice and Development Party (AKP) central committee member Mücahit Birinci, and were both put under house arrest, in a case that drew criticism from press freedom advocates, who said the authorities were targeting independent reporting.
Street interviews in Turkey have grown increasingly popular in recent years as mainstream media came under tighter government control and ownership shifted to pro-government business groups, leaving many citizens to voice their views on independent online platforms instead. These interviews often capture unfiltered, candid opinions that may not align with the government’s official stance, making them a frequent target for censorship and legal pressure.
Erdoğan denounced street interviews in May, claiming that they cause public unrest. He said some journalists “misused cameras and microphones” to provoke or insult others under the guise of journalism and “spread terror in the streets.”
Street interviews have come under growing scrutiny from authorities since Erdoğan’s remarks, with participants occasionally detained over their comments.
In addition YouTubers who produce news programs or conduct street interviews have been required to obtain a license from Turkey’s broadcasting watchdog, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), since September 2024.
Ebubekir Şahin, the then-chairman of RTÜK, said in October that RTÜK will move against YouTube “street interview” channels that it claims manipulate public opinion and push viewers toward “pessimism.”
