The Turkish government has issued an arrest warrant for Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter, accusing him of being a member of a "terror group," according to the pro-government Turkish newspaper The Daily Sabah.

Kanter is a vocal supporter of Fethullah Gulen and the "Gulen Movement." After a military coup attempt in 2016, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan placed blame for the attempt on Gulen and his supporters.

Gulen, a Muslim spiritual leader, has spent the past 15 years in exile in Pennsylvania. Gulen has denied claims of involvement with the coup.

Kanter appeared to mock the arrest warrant in his native Turkish as part of a retweet of the Daily Sabah's report.

Yakalayamazsıııın!!!

Hahaha 😂😂

Boşuna yorulmayın.

Hepinizin o çirkin, nefret dolu suratlarınıza tükürmeye zaten kendim geleceğim. pic.twitter.com/hw0LUp4MNo — Enes Kanter (@Enes_Kanter) May 26, 2017

The warrant "refers to Kanter's alleged use of an encrypted messaging application called Bylock, Sabah said, which Turkey claims was especially created for Gulen supporters."

In Turkey, Kanter's Twitter account is blocked. In the Daily Sabah last summer, Kanter's father, Mehmet, announced the family was disowning him. Kanter said he hasn't spoken with his family in almost two years.

Kanter was detained last week in Romania after the Turkish government revoked his passport. In a video about it, Kanter said Erdogan is the "Hitler of this century."

Kanter returned to the United States, via London, on Monday using his green card. Kanter, who claims he routinely gets death threats, said in interviews following the incident that his manager woke him up in the middle of the night in Indonesia a few days before and was told the Indonesian "secret service and army" were looking for him because he is a "dangerous man."

Kanter told reporters he plans on becoming a U.S. citizen.

"Right now I am country-less," Kanter said at the National Basketball Players Association headquarters in Manhattan. "I am open to adoption definitely. I am going to try to become an American citizen."</s>OKLAHOMA CITY – He’s a star on the basketball court who’s not afraid to speak his mind.

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Enes Kanter is in hot water with the Turkish government over his recent words and social media posts about Turkey’s leader.

“He’s a bad, bad, man. He’s a dictator and he’s the Hitler of our century,” said Enes Kanter from an airport while he was detained in Romania last week. The Turkish government revoked his passport.

But now, a foreign arrest warrant has been issued for Kanter for allegedly associating with terrorism.

“I’m aware that the Turkish government, under President Erdogan, is unhappy with some of the political stances that Enes Kanter has taken, so that’s what’s behind that arrest warrant,” said Professor Bob Carpenter with Oklahoma Christian College. Carpenter has extensive knowledge of Turkish policy and says Kanter supports a movement that opposes Turkey’s current leader.

“That’s the organization that the Turkish Government is accusing of being a terrorist organization,” said Carpenter.

“It’s downright degrading,” said Floyd Blackbear. “I mean, come on. A professional basketball player? Being called a terrorist? Especially here in the state of Oklahoma.”

“I think it’s very unfair,” said Janet McCauley. “ But I think it’s a very good opportunity for him to become a U.S. citizen, Okie for sure.”

But how likely is it that Kanter could be arrested? Especially since an opposing coup leader from Turkey is already in the United States.

“If someone who has been accused by the Turkish Government of leading a coup is still here, I’d say that Enes Kanter is on safe ground.” said Carpenter.

We reached out to the Thunder but didn’t receive a comment on the issue.</s>OKLAHOMA CITY – A foreign arrest warrant has been issued for an Oklahoma City Thunder player following an incident involving his passport.

Earlier this month, Enes Kanter said he was stopped at an airport in Romania after his travel documents were canceled by the Turkish government.

“They said (Turkey’s embassy) canceled my passport. They’ve been holding us here for hours,” Kanter said in a video posted to social media.

Kanter, who turned 25 on Saturday, said Ankara had canceled his passport because of his political views and that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was responsible.

Reporting on Kanter’s tweets, Turkish state media outlet Anadolu said Kanter is a supporter of cleric Fethullah Gulen, an Erdogan opponent who now lives in Pennsylvania.

Now, it seems that his political views may have landed him in even more hot water in Turkey.

According to NewsOk, Turkey has reportedly issued an arrest warrant for Kanter, accusing him of being involved with a terrorist organization.

The Daily Sabah reported that the warrant was issued due to Kanter’s support of Gulen.

Kanter said he hopes to become an American citizen in the future.</s>A pro-government Turkish newspaper reports the country has issued an arrest warrant for Enes Kanter, claiming the Oklahoma City Thunder forward is a member of a terrorist group.

Kanter was temporarily detained last weekend in Romania, after officials there were notified his passport has been revoked by Turkey, where he is a citizen.

Kanter has been a vocal critic of Turkey’s leadership and recently compared President Erdogan to Adolf Hitler.

In response to the warrant, Kanter responded on Twitter with "You cannot catch me. Hahaha. Don't waste your energy."

Kanter received his green card last year, says he wants to become a United States citizen.</s>TURKEY ISSUES ARREST WARRANT FOR BASKETBALL STAR: The Turkish government says Oklahoma City Thunder Enes Kanter is a terrorist. He belongs to the Gulen Movement.

Kanter was detained last week in Romania after the Turkish government revoked his passport. In a video about it, Kanter said Erdogan is the “Hitler of this century.”

Kanter returned to the United States, via London, on Monday using his green card. Kanter, who claims he routinely gets death threats, said in interviews following the incident he was woken up by his manager in the middle of the night in Indonesia a few nights before and told the Indonesian “secret service and army” were looking for him because he is a “dangerous man.”

Kanter told reporters he plans on becoming a United States citizen.</s>The Turkish government issued an arrest warrant for Enes Kanter on Friday, according to Daily Sabah, a pro-government newspaper in Turkey, via Yahoo! Sports.

The Oklahoma City Thunder center has been labeled a “fugitive” and a member of a “terror group” planning to overthrow Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“A judge issued the arrest warrant after an Istanbul prosecutor opened an investigation into Kanter’s alleged “membership of an armed terrorist organisation”, Sabah daily reported. (…)

The arrest warrant refers to Kanter’s alleged use of an encrypted messaging application called Bylock, Sabah said, which Turkey claims was especially created for Gulen supporters.It also referred to Kanter’s “praise for a terror organisation” in messages via his social media accounts, the daily reported.”

Kanter had his passport canceled on May 20, while he was traveling through Europe with his foundation, and was detained in Romania. He made it back to the United States, via London, using his green card.

During his detainment, Kanter referred to Erdogan as the “Hitler of our century” in a video that he posted.

The 25-year-old center has been an outspoken critic of the Turkish president, and a vocal supporter of Fethullah Gulen and the “Gulen Movement.” Gulen, who currently lives in exile in Pennsylvania, was blamed for a 2016 military coup attempt on Erdogan, but he has denied his involvement.

Kanter appeared to mock the warrant for his arrest on Twitter.

Kanter has told reporters that he would like to become an American citizen.

“Right now I am country-less,” Kanter said, per ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “I am open to adoption definitely. I am going to try to become an American citizen.”</s>ANKARA/NEW YORK, May 26 (Reuters) - Enes Kanter, the Turkish NBA star whose home country has revoked his passport, on Friday dismissed a report that Turkey's government had issued a warrant for his arrest.

"You can´t catch me. Don´t waste your breath. I will come on my own will anyway, to spit on your ugly, hateful faces," Kanter said in a Twitter post. A photo of a story by Turkish newspaper Sabah about the arrest warrant accompanied his post.

Kanter's agent, the National Basketball Association player's union and representatives for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Kanter's team, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Kanter was named a "fugitive" by a Turkish court for his support of U.S-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, according to the newspaper's report on Friday.

A representative of the prosecutor's office in Istanbul declined to comment and Turkey's Ministry of Justice was not available to comment.

The investigation of Kanter was reportedly coordinated and carried out by Istanbul prosecutors. The court's ruling had determined Kanter was allegedly a user of ByLock, a secure communication application for smartphones that was used by an organization in support of Gulen and supposedly during a failed coup against Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan last July, Sabah reported.

The court also said Kanter was sharing messages praising the organization on social media and said he was called to testify multiple times but refused, making him a fugitive who should be arrested, according to the Turkish newspaper.

The prosecutor's office also requested that the Justice Ministry contact officials to issue a red notice for Kanter, which would prevent him from traveling, Sabah reported.

Kanter returned to the United States on Sunday after being detained in Romania on May 20 when authorities learned his passport had been revoked. He lashed out at Erdogan at a news conference in New York on Monday, calling him the "Hitler of our century."

The 6-foot-11-inch center was traveling on a charity and promotional tour. He currently holds a U.S. green card allowing him to live and work in the country on a permanent basis.

In an April referendum, Turks narrowly backed constitutional changes that gave new powers to Erdogan, including control over the Islamist AKP Party. It was viewed by critics as an authoritative power grab. (Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Writing and additional reporting by Gina Cherelus; Editing by Dan Grebler)</s>The current, authoritarian government in Turkey is not big on dissent (they have beaten protestors of the Turkish regime at a march in this country). Or human rights.

So what’s real trouble for them is opposition and dissent from a famous, well-known person.

Which brings us to Oklahoma City big man Enes Kanter. He is a native of Turkey, and he has been outspoken in his opposition to that country’s current president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Last week the Turkish government revoked Kanter’s passport while he was traveling the globe promoting his charity. He barely got out of Indonesia and was able to get to Romania, where he was detained for a stretch before getting to return to the United States via London.

Now, the Turkish government has issued an arrest warrant for Kanter, reports the Agence France-Presse.

Turkey issued an arrest warrant on Friday for Turkish NBA star Enes Kanter, accusing him of being a member of a “terror group”, a pro-government newspaper reported. A judge issued the arrest warrant after an Istanbul prosecutor opened an investigation into Kanter’s alleged “membership of an armed terrorist organisation”, Sabah daily reported.

He is in no danger of being extradited by the United States because of this. If anything, it strengthens his case for U.S. citizenship based on asylum.

Kanter is a supporter of the Gülen movement in that country, which is led by the exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, who currently lives in Pennsylvania. That movement has opposed Erdogan (who recently won a disputed election in that country that gives him sweeping, almost dictatorial powers). Erdogan blamed Gulen for masterminding a failed 2016 coup attempt in Turkey, one with members of the military involved (after that attempt members of the Gulen movement have been swept up by the government all over Turkey). This has come at a cost for Kanter, who has been disavowed by his own family because of his political beliefs.

Kanter is not about to back down from his position. Which means it may be a long time before he gets to visit his homeland again.</s>The Turkish government issued an arrest warrant for Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter, accusing him of being a member of a terror group, according to The Daily Sabah, a pro-government Turkish newspaper.

Kanter was detained at a Romanian airport over the weekend because his passport was canceled by Turkey. Kanter documented the experience on Twitter.

Kanter has been a longtime critic of controversial Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and is a vocal supporter of Muslim spiritual leader Fethullah Gulen, a man Erdogan blamed for a coup attempt last year.

After the news of the warrant broke Friday, Kanter tweeted, "Stand For What You Believe!"

Gulen, a Muslim spiritual leader, has spent the last 15 years in exile in Pennsylvania. Gulen has denied claims of involvement with the coup, ESPN reported.

The warrant, ESPN reported, refers to “Kanter's alleged use of an encrypted messaging application called Bylock, Sabah said, which Turkey claims was especially created for Gulen supporters."

n Turkey, Kanter's Twitter account is blocked. In the Daily Sabah last summer, Kanter's father, Mehmet, announced the family was disowning him. Kanter said he hasn't spoken with his family in almost two years.

Kanter was detained last week in Romania after the Turkish government revoked his passport. In a video about it, Kanter said Erdogan is the "Hitler of this century."

Using his green card, Kanter returned to the United States via London on Monday. He told reporters he plans on becoming a U.S. citizen.

"Right now I am country-less," Kanter said in Manhattan. "I am open to adoption definitely. I am going to try to become an American citizen."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.</s>FILE PHOTO - Turkish NBA player Enes Kanter speaks about the revocation of his Turkish passport and return to the United States at National Basketball Players Association headquarters in New York, U.S. on May 22, 2017. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/File Photo

ANKARA/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Enes Kanter, the Turkish NBA star whose home country has revoked his passport, on Friday expressed disdain on social media at reports that Turkey's government had issued a warrant for his arrest.

"You can’t catch me. Don’t waste your breath. I will come on my own will anyway, to spit on your ugly, hateful faces," Kanter said in a Twitter post accompanied by a photo of a story by Turkish newspaper Sabah about the arrest warrant.

Kanter's agent, the National Basketball Association player's union and representatives for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Kanter's team, did not respond to requests for comment.

Kanter, a vocal critic of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, was detained in Romania on May 20 when authorities learned his Turkish passport had been revoked. He returned to the United States on Sunday.

On Monday in New York, Kanter lashed out at Erdogan at a news conference, calling him the "Hitler of our century."

The 6-foot-11-inch center was traveling on a charity and promotional tour. He holds a U.S. green card that allows him to live and work in the country on a permanent basis.

Criticism of Erdogan has intensified since an April referendum made constitutional changes that gave the Turkish leader new powers in a move some called an authoritative power grab. On May 17, a street brawl erupted in Washington, D.C., between protesters and Turkish security personnel during Erdogan's visit to the U.S. capital.

Turkey blamed the violence on demonstrators, while the Washington police called it a "brutal attack" on peaceful protesters.

Turkey and the United States are close allies, cooperating in the fight against the group Islamic State.

The Sabah newspaper said on Friday that Kanter was named a "fugitive" by a Turkish court for his support of U.S-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999. Erdogan is seeking Gulen's extradition for his alleged role in a failed coup last July, something Gulen has denied.

A representative of the prosecutor's office in Istanbul declined to comment and Turkey's Ministry of Justice was not available to comment. Officials with the Turkish embassy in Washington could not immediately be reached for comment.

The investigation of Kanter was reportedly coordinated and carried out by Istanbul prosecutors. The court's ruling had determined Kanter was allegedly a user of ByLock, a secure communication application for smartphones that was used by an organization in support of Gulen and supposedly during a failed coup against Erdogan last July, Sabah reported.

The court said Kanter was sharing messages praising the organization on social media and said he was called to testify multiple times but refused, making him a fugitive, according to the Turkish newspaper.

The prosecutor's office requested that the Justice Ministry contact officials to issue a red notice for Kanter, which would prevent him from traveling, Sabah reported.
The Turkish government issues an arrest warrant for NBA Oklahoma City Thunder player Enes Kanter suspected of being a member of a "terror group." Kanter, a vocal supporter of Fethullah Gülen, was returning to the U.S. from a charity tour when, last Saturday, he was detained in Bucharest, Romania, because his Turkish passport had been revoked. Kanter says he plans on becoming a United States citizen.