Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Report: Turkey Seeks Warrant for NBA Player Enes Kanter
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
January 16, 2019

Share

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish prosecutors are seeking an international arrest warrant for New York Knicks player Enes Kanter, accusing him of membership in a terror organization.

“I don’t even have a parking ticket in the U.S.” — Enes Kanter
Sabah newspaper says the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office had also prepared an extradition request for the NBA player. Officials at the prosecutor’s office could not be reached by The Associated Press for comment.
Kanter, who didn’t go with the Knicks this week for their game in London because he feared he could be killed over his opposition to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, responded on Twitter that the Turkish government could not present “any single piece of evidence of my wrongdoing.”
“I don’t even have a parking ticket in the U.S.,” he wrote Wednesday.
Kanter has been an outspoken critic of Erdogan, and his Turkish passport was revoked in 2017.

Kanter Said He Feared Assassination

This time, Sabah says prosecutors are seeking an Interpol “Red Notice” citing Kanter’s ties to exiled Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is blamed for a failed coup in 2016, and accusing him of providing financial support to his group.

“They’ve got a lot of spies there. I think I can get killed there easy. It would be a very ugly situation.” — Enes Kanter
Kanter said he feared assassination if he left the U.S. or Canada when he announced last week that he wouldn’t travel with the Knicks, who play the Washington Wizards at The O2 Arena on Thursday. The team said at the time Kanter wouldn’t make the trip because of a visa issue.
Kanter denied that was the problem, even posting a photo of a travel document on social media, and made it clear his issue was his safety because of Erdogan, whom he has referred to as “the Hitler of our century.”
“They’ve got a lot of spies there,” he said. “I think I can get killed there easy. It would be a very ugly situation.”
While the Knicks are overseas, Kanter has posted a number of photos of himself meeting with U.S. congressmen. He also wrote an opinion piece in the Washington Post explaining his decision and his reasons for standing against Erdogan.
“My decision not to travel to London was difficult from a competitive standpoint but much easier from a safety one,” he wrote. “It helps puts a spotlight on how a dictator is wrecking Turkey — people have been killed, thousands are unjustly imprisoned, and countless lives have been ruined. That is no game.”

DON'T MISS

Trump Says Musk, Vivek Will Form Outside Group to Advise White House on Government Efficiency

DON'T MISS

Fate of Clovis Trustee Race Still Up in the Air. So Are Clovis, Sanger School Bond Measures.

DON'T MISS

Richardson Widens Lead Over Bonakdar in Nail-Biting Race for Fresno City Council

DON'T MISS

What to Know About John Ratcliffe, Trump’s Pick for CIA Director

DON'T MISS

Here Are the People Trump Has Picked for Key Positions So Far

DON'T MISS

Waymo’s Robotaxis Now Open to Anyone Who Wants a Driverless Ride in Los Angeles

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Man Accused of Filing Fake Disability Claims in $300K Fraud Scheme

DON'T MISS

Trump Nominates Fox News Host Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary

DON'T MISS

Economists Warn of Inflation and Debt Risks in Trump’s Second Term Plans

DON'T MISS

How Many Smoke Shops Is Too Many? Fresno Plan Would Allow Only 49

UP NEXT

49ers Coach Kyle Shanahan Says Players’ Sideline Spat Has Been ‘Squashed’

UP NEXT

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Will Have Season-Ending Surgery on Torn Hamstring

UP NEXT

Rams’ Offensive Woes Resurface in Loss to Dolphins, Snapping Win Streak

UP NEXT

John Robinson, Successful Football Coach at USC and With the LA Rams, Has Died at 89

UP NEXT

Lakers’ Anthony Davis Sidelined by Eye Injury After Blocking Dunk Attempt

UP NEXT

Curry Scores 36, OKC Loses Holmgren to Hip Injury in Warriors’ Win Over Thunder

UP NEXT

CeeDee Lamb Throws Shade After Losing the Ball in the Sun as Jerry Jones Bristles Over Curtains

UP NEXT

Rookie Jared Verse Is a Battering Ram, Sacking QBs and Talking Trash for LA

UP NEXT

Justin Herbert Has TDs Passing and Rushing as Chargers Beat Titans for 3rd Straight Win

UP NEXT

Moody Shrugs Off 3 Missed FGs to Kick 49ers Past Buccaneers in McCaffrey’s Season Debut

What to Know About John Ratcliffe, Trump’s Pick for CIA Director

10 hours ago

Here Are the People Trump Has Picked for Key Positions So Far

11 hours ago

Waymo’s Robotaxis Now Open to Anyone Who Wants a Driverless Ride in Los Angeles

11 hours ago

Fresno County Man Accused of Filing Fake Disability Claims in $300K Fraud Scheme

11 hours ago

Trump Nominates Fox News Host Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary

11 hours ago

Economists Warn of Inflation and Debt Risks in Trump’s Second Term Plans

11 hours ago

How Many Smoke Shops Is Too Many? Fresno Plan Would Allow Only 49

11 hours ago

US Says It Will Not Limit Israel Arms Transfers After Some Improvements in Flow of Aid to Gaza

11 hours ago

Who With Valley Ties Could Land Spots in the Trump Administration?

12 hours ago

Tulare Gang Member Gets Life Without Parole for 2022 Murders

14 hours ago

Trump Says Musk, Vivek Will Form Outside Group to Advise White House on Government Efficiency

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday said Elon Musk and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new “D...

10 hours ago

10 hours ago

Trump Says Musk, Vivek Will Form Outside Group to Advise White House on Government Efficiency

10 hours ago

Fate of Clovis Trustee Race Still Up in the Air. So Are Clovis, Sanger School Bond Measures.

10 hours ago

Richardson Widens Lead Over Bonakdar in Nail-Biting Race for Fresno City Council

10 hours ago

What to Know About John Ratcliffe, Trump’s Pick for CIA Director

11 hours ago

Here Are the People Trump Has Picked for Key Positions So Far

11 hours ago

Waymo’s Robotaxis Now Open to Anyone Who Wants a Driverless Ride in Los Angeles

A Fresno County man has been indicted on mail fraud charges for allegedly submitting over $300,000 in falsified disability claims using stolen identities. (GV Wire File)
11 hours ago

Fresno County Man Accused of Filing Fake Disability Claims in $300K Fraud Scheme

Pete Hegseth walks to an elevator for a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York, Dec. 15, 2016. (AP File)
11 hours ago

Trump Nominates Fox News Host Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary

Search

Send this to a friend