Enes Kanter: 'I Am Definitely a Target' of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan

New York Knicks center Enes Kanter wrote a piece for the Washington Post on Tuesday in which he discussed his status as a "target" of the Turkish government and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In the article, Kanter wrote, "Anyone who speaks out against him is a target. I am definitely a target. And Erdogan wants me back in Turkey where he can silence me."

Kanter noted he will not join the Knicks in London for their game against the Washington Wizards on Thursday out of fear Erdogan will send people to harm him.

Since Kanter doesn't yet have U.S. citizenship or a U.S. passport, he feels traveling overseas is too great of a risk: 

"Even if I did, I wouldn't travel this week to Britain, where I easily could be kidnapped or killed by Turkish agents. Erdogan's arms are long. He hunts down anyone who opposes him. In 2017, his security team—or thugs, as The Post’s editorial board described them—even beat up peaceful protesters outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence in Washington."

Kanter noted he is wanted by the Turkish government for criticizing Erdogan on Twitter and that he could face four years in prison if arrested.

The Knicks big man wrote the Turkish government believes Kanter is part of an "armed terrorist organization" due to his support for cleric Fethullah Gulen.

While the Turkish government alleges Gulen was behind a failed 2016 coup, Gulen has denied any involvement.

Kanter also spoke about his situation with Bleacher Report's Howard Beck on The Full 48 this week:

In his Washington Post article, Kanter wrote about a harrowing experience in 2017 that saw him awoken in the middle of the night by his manager in Indonesia.

Kanter was told the Indonesian police were searching for him after being informed by Erdogan that Kanter was dangerous.

That led to Kanter getting stranded in Romania after his passport was canceled by the Turkish government, but Kanter managed to make it back to the United States.

Kanter finds himself confined to North America, which typically doesn't interfere with his job, but because of his fear he is being targeted by Erdogan, the Knicks will be without one of their top players for Thursday's game in London.