Knicks' Enes Kanter Says He's Received 'Hundreds and Hundreds' of Death Threats

New York Knicks center Enes Kanter opened up about the hardships he faces as a result of his criticism toward Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 

Kanter told CNN's Hala Gorani he has received "hundreds and hundreds of death threats" after announcing he doesn't intend to travel to London for the Knicks' Jan. 17 game against the Washington Wizards:

"First, I would love to go to London. It's just very sad because I'm scared of my life because Erdogan's operation in [a] foreign country. The operations are very famous [for] hunting down people who are speaking out against the government. There are around over 100 people—journalists, community leaders and teachers—that just speak out against the government and they've been getting kidnapped and sent back to Turkey. That's why I was scared of going to London."

In July 2016, Kanter wrote in a series of tweets he had received death threats after he publicly supported Fethullah Gulen, an exiled Muslim cleric whom Erdogan blamed for a failed coup.

Kanter later tweeted in May 2017 he was being held at a Romanian airport after the Turkish embassy "canceled" his passport.

Upon making his safe return to the United States, Kanter called Erdogan the "Hitler of our century." The Turkish government subsequently issued an arrest warrant for the eight-year NBA veteran, and prosecutors sought a four-year prison term.

His father Mehmet received a 15-year prison sentence in June.

Kanter told Gorani he doesn't "really feel safe anywhere else in the world" outside of the United States. He plans on formally becoming a U.S. citizen in 2021.