Turkey seeking arrest warrant for Knicks' Enes Kanter - SNY.tv

Knicks center Enes Kanter is being accused by Turkish prosecutors of membership in a terror organization. The nation is seeking an international arrest warrant for Kanter, according to a report by the Associated Press.

An extradition request for the NBA player is being prepared by the Istanbul chief prosecutor's office, according to Sabah newspaper. The report says prosecutors are seeking an Interpol "Red Notice" in regard to Kanter's ties to Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish former citizen living in the United States who is a religious scholar and preacher. Kanter is accused of providing financial support to Gulen, who is an opponent of the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and is blamed for orchestrating a failed coup in 2016. Gulen denies involvement.

Turkish Government can NOT present any single piece of evidence of my wrongdoing. 🤷
I don't even have a parking ticket in the US 😂 (True)
I have always been a law-abiding resident. 😇 https://t.co/DxLgvFcTST

- Enes Kanter (@Enes_Kanter) January 16, 2019

The report comes weeks after Kanter refused to travel with the Knicks to London for their regular season game against the Wizards on Thursday, saying his life would be in danger. The 26-year-old is a wanted criminal in Turkey because of his criticism against Erdogan, and had his passport revoked by the Turkish government the last time he traveled overseas.

"I talked to the front office and they said I'm not going because of that freaking lunatic, the Turkish present," Kanter said on Jan. 4 after New York's win over the Lakers. "There's a chance that I can get killed out there. So that's why I talked to the front office. I'm not going so I'm just going to stay here, just practice. It's pretty sad because it affects my career, my basketball. Because I want to be out there but just because of that one lunatic guy, that one maniac, I can't go out there and do my job. It's pretty sad."

Kanter said he "can be killed easily" from the possibility of Turkish spies targeting him in London, adding it would be "a very ugly situation." The center has referred to Erdogan as "the Hitler of our century" and was nearly seized by Turkish intelligence in Indonesia during the spring of 2017 while on a world tour for his charitable organization.

New York's center is making light of his predicament, reacting to Turkey's accusation of Kanter being a member in a terror group.