Turkey seeking arrest of NBA player

Prosecutors in Turkey are seeking the extradition of NBA player Enes Kanter over his support for Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen, according to media reports.

The Turkish government is also seeking an international arrest warrant for Kanter through Interpol, an international police group, according to The Wall Street Journal.

{mosads}Kanter, who plays for the New York Knicks, is a vocal critic of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and has feuded for years with the country’s government, which alleges that Kanter is a terrorist because of his support for Gülen.

Turkey has accused Gülen of orchestrating a failed coup against the government in 2016. It has sought the extradition of Gülen, who also lives in the U.S.

In response to reports of his arrest warrant, Kanter wrote Wednesday on Twitter that the Turkish government “can NOT present any single piece of evidence of my wrongdoing.”

“I have always been a law-abiding resident,” he added.

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

Kanter announced earlier this month that he wouldn’t travel to London for a game between the Knicks and the Washington Wizards over fears that he could be assassinated by Turkish hitmen.

In an opinion piece published Tuesday by The Washington Post, Kanter wrote that “anyone who speaks out against” Erdoğan “is a target.”

“I am definitely a target,” he wrote. “And Erdogan wants me back in Turkey where he can silence me.”