Death threats may prompt Kanter to become U.S. citizen
Oklahoma City center Enes Kanter said Monday he routinely received death threats for criticizing the government of his native Turkey, and he may seek an expedited process toward becoming a U.S. citizen.
Kanter was detained at an airport in Romania over the weekend, with border police there saying they did so because Turkish authorities canceled his passport. Kanter eventually was allowed to leave for London and then New York, after he said officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and others intervened on his behalf.
Kanter held a news conference in New York on Monday and said he was the target of two more death threats earlier in the day.
“This is definitely right now,” he said.
Kanter has long been a critic of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom he has likened to Adolf Hitler on multiple occasions. Kanter contends, among other things, that a failed coup attempt last year was actually staged by the Erdogan-led government.
“I call it the fake coup attempt,” Kanter said. “Last year, they did a fake coup attempt themselves, so they can control everything. So right now, the Erdogan government crazy is controlling the army, controlling the police, controlling judges, controlling journalists, everything.”
Kanter makes no secret of his support of Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who opposes Erdogan. Kanter said that when he was detained in Romania, he feared he would be sent back to Turkey.
Kanter said he has not spoken with his parents and other relatives in Turkey in more than a year.
“There’s no democracy. There’s no freedom of speech, freedom of religion. It’s definitely been crazy,” Kanter said.
Kanter has a green card for entry to the U.S. but no passport.