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New York Knicks forward Enes Kanter is in a precarious situation after making an enemy in Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who issued a warrant for his arrest.
Only a year ago, Kanter was stopped at a Romanian airport, unable to board his flight due to restrictions in his passport, which were later lifted, allowing his return to the United States.
That was the pivotal point in which the Turkish center knew his ability to get around would be rather limited, creating a state of paranoia. The Knicks center has been somewhat hesitant to get around, due to what might ensue.
“No, [I'm not scared] because I know in America they can't do anything. But anywhere else — I had a camp in Canada I had to cancel, or I was going to go to Norway for a freedom forum, and I canceled it. Because anywhere outside of the U.S., it can be very dangerous,” said Kanter of the potential risk, according to ESPN's Royce Young. “I can't live my life like that, paranoid about what's going to happen. I'll go to Times Square and hang out, or walk around in New York. If it happens, if something happens, it's gonna happen.”
Yet this has put out other implications that would restrict his travel, putting his freedom on the line. The Knicks are scheduled to face the Washington Wizards on Jan. 17, 2019 — a game Kanter would be forced to miss if his safety is at risk.
“I have no idea if I can play [in the London game] or not,” said Kanter. “Or might I get traded, you never know. It's a perfect salary there … (he stops himself and smiles).”
“I don't have a Turkish passport. If I get there and there's Interpol waiting for me, they have to send me back to Turkey because I'm not an American citizen. I'm a Turkish citizen, so they'd have to ship me back to Turkey.”
While Kanter has a work permit to continue his career in the NBA, things may change if he chooses to play overseas or even traded to the Toronto Raptors, as the Turkish government could act quickly and find a way to file his extradition and consequent prosecution.
