Enes Kanter on Fear of Turkish Government: 'If I'm in America, I'm Safe'

New York Knicks center Enes Kanter spoke with CBS News on Friday regarding whether he fears the Turkish government.

During the interview, Kanter talked about the fact that the Turkish government has a warrant out for his arrest:

While Kanter has concerns about what could happen to him outside of the United States, he noted, "If I'm in American, I'm safe."

Kanter has been outspoken in recent years against the Turkish government and critical of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The 26-year-old Kanter was born in Switzerland in 1992, but he was raised in Turkey.

During Friday's interview, Kanter said one of the warrants for his arrest was due to criticizing Erdogan on Twitter.

Kanter asserted that such a warrant means there is "no freedom of speech in Turkey."

He also said that the Turkish government views anyone who speaks out against the government or the president as a terrorist.

In 2017, Kanter's passport was canceled by Turkish officials, which led to him getting stuck in Romania before being allowed to fly to London.

Kanter is a supporter of Fethullah Gulen, who is alleged to have orchestrated a failed military coup against Erdogan in 2016. Gulen has denied involvement with the coup.

In June, a Turkish court indicted Kanter's father, Mehmet Kanter, on accusations of being a member of a terrorist group.

On January 4, Kanter announced that he would not travel with the Knicks for their Jan. 17 game against the Washington Wizards in London.

According to ESPN.com's Ohm Youngmisuk, Kanter expressed fears about his safety if he leaves North America:

"Sadly, I'm not going because of that freaking lunatic, the Turkish president. There's a chance that I can get killed out there. So that's why I talked to the [Knicks'] front office. I'm not going.

"It's pretty sad that just all this stuff affects my career and basketball, because I want to be out there helping my team win. But just because of that one lunatic guy, one maniac or dictator, I can't even go out there and just do my job. So it's pretty sad."

Kanter is in the midst of his second season with the Knicks after previously playing for the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder.

He can become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2018-19 season.