Apr 4, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe (15) fouls Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter (11) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports/Files

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - U.S.-based Turkish basketball star Enes Kanter was refused entry into Romania on Saturday because his Turkish passport had been cancelled, Romanian border police said.

Kanter, who plays in the NBA for Oklahoma City Thunder, is a long-time supporter of Pennsylvania-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, whose extradition Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan is seeking in relation to a failed coup last July.

Kanter said on his Twitter account that he would hold a news conference in New York on Sunday to discuss his situation.

"Got lots of things to say with lots of crazy stories, Be ready!!!" he said.

Kanter had tweeted earlier that Romanian police had detained him at Bucharest airport.

"I'm being held at Romanian airport by police," Kanter wrote, along with a photo of him with his arms around two police officers and a video describing what he said was his situation.

"We are in Romania and they said they cancelled my passport by Turkish embassy," he said in the video, speaking in English. "You know because the reason behind it is just of course my political views."

Neither the National Basketball Association nor the Oklahoma City Thunder were immediately available for comment on Kanter.

Kanter's agent, Melvut Cilnar, told Oklahoma media that the player was safe.

He said he and Kanter expected to return to the U.S. from London "very soon" but did not elaborate.

Romanian border police said in a statement that Kanter had come from the United States and made a stop in Frankfurt.

"At the border checkpoint it was discovered that his passport is not valid, his travel document being annulled by the issuing state," the statement said, adding he then flew on to London.

Turkish officials were not immediately available to comment.

Kanter said last year he had severed ties with his family and pledged allegiance to Gulen after Turkish media published a letter signed by Kanter's father, disowning his son. [L8N1AQ1ZU]

During the coup attempt, rogue soldiers in warplanes and tanks tried to seize power in Turkey in a putsch that killed more than 240 people. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile since 1999, has denied involvement.</s>Enes Kanter of Turkey, a NBA basketball player with Oklahoma City Thunder, poses for a picture upon landing in the U.S. in this social media photo in New York, U.S., May 21, 2017. Courtesy Enes Kanter/Courtesy Maestro Consulting & Management Group/Handout via REUTERS

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S.-based Turkish basketball player Enes Kanter was back in the United States on Monday and poised to speak publicly about being detained after his Turkish passport was canceled because of what he described as his "political views."

The NBA star, who plays for Oklahoma City Thunder, was refused entry into Romania on Saturday because his travel documents had been canceled by Turkey, Kanter said in a post on Twitter.

"You know because the reason behind it is just, of course, my political views," Kanter said in an accompanying video, speaking in English.

Later Monday at a news conference, Kanter is expected to discuss what he has contended is retaliation for his long-time support of Pennsylvania-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, whose extradition Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan is seeking in relation for a failed coup last July.

Kanter said last year he had severed ties with his family and pledged allegiance to Gulen after Turkish media published a letter signed by Kanter's father, disowning his son.

During the coup attempt, rogue soldiers in warplanes and tanks tried to seize power in Turkey in a plot that killed more than 240 people. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile since 1999, has denied involvement.

After he was refused entry at Romania's Bucharest airport, Kanter flew to London.

Kanter, who turned 25 on Saturday, returned to the United States on Sunday, posting on Twitter: "Hello. The most beautiful country in the world. The United States of America."

During Erdogan's most recent U.S. visit to meet with President Donald Trump, a street brawl broke out between protesters and Turkish security personnel in Washington, D.C.

Washington's police chief called the incident last week outside the Turkish ambassador's residence a "brutal attack" on peaceful protesters, and the U.S. State Department voiced its "strongest possible" concern to the Turkish government.</s>Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter was released Saturday after being held at a Romanian airport because of a canceled Turkish passport.

According to Benjamin Hoffman of the New York Times, Romanian border police spokesman Fabian Badila said Kanter was allowed to leave on a flight to London:

"Today at around 1 p.m. local time, an individual arrived from Frankfurt. My colleagues established that his travel documents weren't valid, that they had been canceled by his home country, so he wasn't allowed to enter the country. At around 5 p.m., he left the airport on a flight to London. While he was at the airport, he wasn't detained or locked up; he was allowed to wander around, but he couldn't enter the country."

Royce Young of ESPN reported the NBA worked with the State Department to help get Kanter to London.

Kanter said he's planning a press conference in New York City on Sunday to give more details regarding being detained:

Kanter tweeted a video earlier in the day saying his passport had been canceled because of his political views:

Per ESPN.com, Kanter is an "outspoken critic " of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.



Kanter is a supporter of Fethullah Gulen, who allegedly led a failed coup against Erdogan last year.

According to Hoffman, Kanter is in the middle of a tour for the Enes Kanter Light Foundation.

The 25-year-old was selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz before getting traded to OKC in February 2015

His production has improved with the Thunder, and he is coming off a season that saw him average 14.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.

Kanter has one year remaining on his contract before he is eligible to opt out and become a free agent in 2018.</s>In a video posted Saturday morning to Twitter, Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter said he’s being held at a the airport in Bucharest, Romania, because of his outspoken views against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom he called “the Hitler of our century.”

“What’s up, world? Just want to say we are in Romania and they said they canceled my passport by Turkish embassy,” the Turkish national said. “The reason behind is just of course my political views and the guy who did it is … the president of Turkey. … He’s attacked the people in Washington, he’s a bad, bad man, he’s a dictator and he’s the Hitler of our century. So I’ll keep you posted, guys, just pray for us.”

Kanter’s forced stay at the airport doesn’t seem to be particularly rough at the moment.

One of Kanter’s representatives told the Oklahoma’s Brett Dawson that his client was in “high spirits.” Nevertheless, Dawson that the Thunder and the NBA are working together to get Kanter back to the United States.

“To be honest, we’re pretty optimistic, just because of the situation,” Hank Fetic said. “He’s in a European Union country.”

Fetic told Dawson that the Turkish government often reports citizens’ passports as stolen or missing in order to have them confiscated in foreign countries, and that appears to be the case in this instance. If he his deported to Turkey, he could face arrest.

Kanter was referring to Tuesday’s clash outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence in Washington between guards for Erdogan, who was visiting the U.S. capital, and people who were peacefully protesting his policies. Video of the fracas went viral, leading to outrage and calls for the ambassador’s expulsion from the United States.

The Thunder big man, who was born in Switzerland to Turkish parents and claims Turkish citizenship, has long been a supporter of Fethullah Gulen, a cleric who is accused of being the mastermind behind a failed, bloody coup attempt against Erdogan last year. Kanter’s family disowned him after he continued his support of the cleric last year, leading him to informally change his last name to Gulen last year.

According to the Sporting News, Kanter is on a worldwide tour for the Enes Kanter Foundation, which provides meals and clothing to the needy worldwide. He arrived in Bucharest on a flight from Singapore, Dawson reports, and had remaining stops in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland that likely will be canceled.

“They’re doing OK,” Fetic told Dawson. “The police and the people at the airport, they’re just doing their job. Once they get a notification that someone’s passport is stolen or canceled, they have to do the regular process. From my understanding, he said they’re being treated well so far. They’re trying to explain the situation to these people, why the passport is canceled, and this is pretty new, even in these years, that a government would intentionally try to cancel someone’s passport in order to bring them back.”</s>Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter posted a video on social media Saturday, saying he was being held inside a Romanian airport due to passport issues.

Kanter discussed the travel problem, which happened to fall on his birthday, on Twitter:

He later posted a lighthearted photo from the airport with the hashtag "Free Enes:"

An ESPN.com report noted the 25-year-old, who's represented Turkey at the international level, has become an "outspoken critic" of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan through his support of the Gulen movement.

Kanter's representative said they were "pretty optimistic" they could get Kanter back to the United States because he's in a European Union country, per Brett Dawson of NewsOK.com

The Thunder told ESPN.com they are "working with the league office and gathering information through the appropriate channels."

Oklahoma City's season came to an end April 25 with a Game 5 loss to the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2017 NBA playoffs.

Kanter averaged 14.3 points and 6.7 rebounds while shooting 54.5 percent from the field across 72 games during his sixth NBA season. He previously played for the Utah Jazz after starting his professional career with Fenerbahce in Turkey.</s>Oklahoma City Thunder player Enes Kanter was detained for hours at an airport in Romania Saturday morning, after the Turkish embassy canceled his passport.

Kanter first alerted the internet of his situation in a video message posted on his Twitter account.

"What's up world. Just wanted to say we are in Romania and they said they canceled my passport by Turkish Embassy. They have been holding us here for hours by these two police," he began in the video.

Kanter, who is Turkish, said he was held by officials because of his strong political views and opposition to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan .

"The guy who did it is the President of Turkey, and you guys know him by now. He's attacked the people in Washington he's a bad bad man. He is a dictator and he is the Hitler of our century. I'll keep you posted guys, but just pray for us and I'll tell you what's going on," Kanter added in the video.

Kanter has since been released and landed safely in London, the NBA confirmed, according to the New York Times.

Kanter has been outspoken since gaining prominence as a center for the Thunder, and was a noted supporter of the failed Turkish coup to oust Erdoğan in 2016.

Kanter on Saturday first retweeted the NBA wishing him a happy 25th birthday, but had posted the airport video within the next hour.

He was traveling as part of his tour with the Enes Kanter Light Foundation.</s>NBA star Enes Kanter has said in a video posted to Twitter Saturday he's being held in a Romanian airport after his Turkish passport was revoked. The Oklahoma City Thunder forward said that as a stark critic of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan—whom he called a modern day Adolf Hitler—he believes his political views are to blame for the situation.

The stakes could potentially be very high. "He is facing deportation to Turkey, where he'll likely be arrested," posted journalist Mahir Zeynalov, chief editor of The Globe Post who often covers issues in Turkey.

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"We are in Romania and they said they cancelled my passport by [the] Turkish embassy" Kanter said in a video posted to Twitter Saturday morning. "They've been holding us here for hours by these two police. The reason behind it is of course my political views and the guy who did it is Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey. You guys know him [because] he attacked the people in Washington."

Kanter appeared to be referencing a brawl that broke out after Erdogan's security service attacked protesters in Washington, D.C. this week. Erdogan was in D.C. to meet with President Donald Trump in the White House.

"He's a bad, bad man," Kanter said of Erdogan in the video. "He's a dictator. He's the Hitler of our century. So, I will keep you posted, guys but just pray for us.

Kanter—whose birthday is Saturday—later posted a picture with the two police officers with the hashtag #FreeEnes, but there were not yet any updates on the situation in Romania.

Kanter is a supporter of Fethullah Gulen, a moderate imam who moved from Turkey to the U.S. who started an anti-Erdogan movement. Kanter previously said his family disowned him for his views.

"Today I lost my mother, father, brothers and sisters, my family and all my relatives," Kanter wrote in a letter, according to an ABC News translation. "My own father asked me to change my surname. My mother, who has given me life, disowned me. My brothers and sisters with which we have grown together ignore me."</s>Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter is returning to the United States after being detained in a Romanian airport.

Romanian Border Police spokesman Fabian Badila confirmed to The Associated Press that the player left Romania for the United States via London.

Kanter, who is from Turkey, said in a video Saturday morning on his Twitter account that the Turkish embassy canceled his passport and he’d been detained for several hours at a Romanian airport.

Kanter said he believed he was held because of his political views. He’s been a critic of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Kanter supports Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who opposes Erdogan.

Kanter has been one of the NBA’s best reserves the past two years. This season, he averaged 14.3 points and 6.7 rebounds.</s>Oklahoma City Thunder player Enes Kanter was detained for hours at an airport in Romania Saturday morning, after the Turkish embassy canceled his passport.

Kanter first alerted the internet of his situation in a video message posted on his Twitter account.

"What's up world. Just wanted to say we are in Romania and they said they canceled my passport by Turkish Embassy. They have been holding us here for hours by these two police," he began in the video.

Kanter, who is Turkish, said he was held by officials because of his strong political views and opposition to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan .

"The guy who did it is the President of Turkey, and you guys know him by now. He's attacked the people in Washington he's a bad bad man. He is a dictator and he is the Hitler of our century. I'll keep you posted guys, but just pray for us and I'll tell you what's going on," Kanter added in the video.

Kanter has since been released and landed safely in London, the NBA confirmed, according to the New York Times.

Kanter has been outspoken since gaining prominence as a center for the Thunder, and was a noted supporter of the failed Turkish coup to oust Erdoğan in 2016.

Kanter on Saturday first retweeted the NBA wishing him a happy 25th birthday, but had posted the airport video within the next hour.

He was traveling as part of his tour with the Enes Kanter Light Foundation.</s>Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter is returning to the United States after being detained in a Romanian airport.

Romanian Border Police spokesman Fabian Badila confirmed to The Associated Press that the player left Romania for the United States via London.

Kanter, who is from Turkey, said in a video Saturday morning on his Twitter account that the Turkish embassy canceled his passport and he'd been detained for several hours at a Romanian airport.

Kanter said he believed he was held because of his political views. He's been a critic of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Kanter supports Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who opposes Erdogan.

Kanter has been one of the NBA's best reserves the past two years. This season, he averaged 14.3 points and 6.7 rebounds.
Enes Kanter, a Turkish player with the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder, returns to the U.S. after having been briefly detained in Bucharest. Kanter alleged that his public opposition to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and support of exiled Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen had led to the cancellation of his Turkish passport.