Turkey is looking to lock up NBA star Enes Kanter for his criticism of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Associated Press reported the following:
Turkey’s state-run news agency says prosecutors are seeking more than four years in prison for NBA player Enes Kanter on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Anadolu Agency says an indictment prepared by the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office accuses the New York Knicks player of insulting the president in a series of tweets he posted in May and June 2016.
Kanter said he wasn’t concerned and continued his criticisms of Erdogan, saying, “That dude is a maniac.”
Kanter has been incredibly outspoken against Erdogan, and it has caused him problems in the past. He was stuck in Romania after Turkey canceled his travel documents this past summer. The New York Knicks star eventually made his way back to America.
This is what so many people take for granted in America. People run their mouths all the time, and essentially never face any real backlash. That’s because we’re blessed with freedom and the First Amendment.
Kanter is trying to express his disapproval of the Erdogan regime, and it’ll likely mean he can never return to his home country again. His family has also publicly disowned him for being against the Turkish government. It’s an unfortunate situation, but hopefully the United States of America can look after him going forward. It sounds like there’s big trouble waiting for him if he ends up back in Turkey.