Oklahoma City Thunder’s Enes Kanter is a Turkish national playing in the NBA.
Kanter is openly critical of the Erdogan regime, and his recent travel experience shows how susceptible citizens are to government control, even when traveling freely outside their country’s borders.
Via the Sovereign Man…
Like many professional athletes, Kanter has a couple of charities in his name.
His education fund provides first-year college scholarships to support selected US students – including a family’s first female child and children of law enforcement and firefighters who lost their lives on duty.
Kanter’s other charity is the Light Foundation. This one has an international bent, providing meals and clothes to needy families.
A global tour with the Light Foundation stirred up Friday’s troubles.
After traveling to a few countries, Kanter and his team flew from Indonesia to Romania. But upon landing in Romania, Kanter found his passport cancelled by the Turkish embassy.
Kanter’s crime? His political views.
Enes Kanter has long been a vocal critic of Turkey’s president, Recep Erdogan, calling him the Hitler of our century.
Although not a Hitler, Erdogan is far from an angel.
In July 2016 when facing a coup, he ordered his forces to open fire on his own people, killing 270. He had another 50,000 arrested.
Last month in the country’s constitutional referendum, Erdogan consolidated greater power by the slimmest majority – 51% of the votes, if the vote count is to be believed.
With that victory, Erdogan has near dictatorial powers, which is why he was able to unilaterally suspend Kanter’s passport.
The post Turkish NBA star has his passport revoked by Erdogan for his political views appeared first on The Duran.