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Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter has received clearance to play in Canada for the upcoming Christmas Day matchup against the Toronto Raptors, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston.
Kanter has been forced to skip out on games played outside of the United States in recent years due to the highly stressful and tenuous situation with the Turkish government, as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has kept a close eye on his whereabouts.
The 26-year-old is a well-known political enemy of Erdogan, and the consequences for opposing the Turkish government are quite severe. As a result, Kanter has been cut off from most of his family, considering the danger that he'd be putting them through, as they still live in their native Turkey.
Recently, Kanter asked for help from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, hoping to have enough security to protect him upon landing in Toronto:
“I have a phone conversation with Justin Trudeau,” Kanter said last week. “So, that’s gonna be very exciting. So, I’m literally gonna ask, like, ‘Hey, I’m coming to your country. Is it OK for me to come?’”
It seems Kanter got the go-ahead from Trudeau, allowing him to play this Christmas, an honor many NBA players look to have as only the top teams get to showcase their talent on the highly anticipated holiday.
A few years ago, Kanter was unable to board his flight back to the United States, stuck at a Romanian airport by order of Erdogan, though a few calls to the United States Embassy and a few hours of wait allowed him to make it back to Oklahoma City safely. Kanter hasn't felt safe leaving the confines of the United States since, hence his fear of boarding a plane to Canada and the numerous times he has been forced to stay put and rejoin the team once they return to the U.S.
