Enes Kanter says his life would be in jeopardy if he accompanied the Knicks on their road trip to London this month, so the center will stay in the U.S. instead.
Kanter told reporters on Friday in Los Angeles he believes the Turkish government would try to kill him if he goes to Europe for the Knicks' game at O2 Arena vs. the Wizards on Jan. 17. Kanter, a Turkish national who was born in Switzerland, has been openly critical of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to the point Turkish officials attempted to put Kanter in prison in December 2017 over comments Kanter made about him.
MORE: Kanter wants to stay with Knicks, talks with GM
Enes Kanter says he’s not going to London with Knicks because he fears for his life due to “that freaking lunatic, the Turkish president. There’s a chance that I can get killed out there.” pic.twitter.com/NvRDSHWB4V
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) January 5, 2019
A Turkish prosecutor issued an arrest warrant for Kanter in May 2017, alleging the player was a member of a terrorist organization. Kanter's passport was revoked and Kanter was briefly detained at a Romanian airport. The NBA and the U.S. State Department worked to have Kanter released and transported to London.
Kanter has in the past expressed support for Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based Muslim cleric whom Turkey accuses of leading a failed coup attempt against Erdogan. Kanter faced more legal jeopardy last February when Turkish officials charged him with insulting former NBA player Hedo Turkoglu online. Turkoglu is the president of the Turkish Basketball Federation and an adviser to Erdogan.
Kanter's father reportedly was sentenced to 15 years in prison last June in Turkey on terrorism charges. Kanter believes Turkey was retaliating for the player's anti-Erdogan statements.
