He was born in 1966 in Ordu. He studied at Galatasaray High School, Ankara University Faculty of Law and USA Texas University Faculty of Law. Since 1993, he has been working as a self-employed lawyer in Ankara, as a lawyer and arbitrator in various domestic and international arbitration cases, and since 2016 as a mediator registered in the Ministry of Justice Mediators Registry.

Since 2006, he has participated in numerous national and international mediation training in addition to acting as a mediator and party advocate in mediation negotiations domestically and internationally. Arıkan has also participated in panel, symposium, seminars and similar events as a participant, speaker and session chair. Between 2001-2006, he taught English Contracts, International Trade Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution as a part-time lecturer at Ankara University, Faculty of Law, Banking and Commercial Law Research Institute. In the 2015-2016 academic year, he gave an elective Alternative Conflict Resolution course at TOBB University Faculty of Law.

In 1998-1999 he served as the Turkey Bar Association Consumer Council representative to the Ministry of Industry, as a Turkey Bar Association External Relations and European Commission Vice President between 2002-2006, as the President of Ankara Metropolitan Rotary Club between 2006-2007, the Chairman of Ankara Bar Association Alternative Dispute Resolution Center between 2005-2010, Turkey Bar Association delegate for Ankara Bar Association between 2008-2010, an instructor at Ankara Bar Association Training Center (Alternative Dispute Resolution Methods) between 2009-2011, the Vice President of Ankara Bar Association between 2014-2016.

He is the author of chapters related to Turkey in the book titled "The Variegated Landscape of Mediation", which is a comparative study of mediation regulation and practices in Europe and the World, and "Arbitration and Mediation in the Southern Mediterranean Countries", which reviews arbitration and mediation practices in Southern Mediterranean countries.

Continuing his work as the Vice President of the Turkish American Association and the American Bar Association Representative in Turkey, Arıkan, is fluent in English and has an excellent command of French.