Turkey seeks arrest of New York Knicks player Enes Kanter
Turkey said it would seek the extradition of a prominent NBA player, part of a global hunt President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has launched to capture supporters of a Pennsylvania-based Turkish cleric he accuses of [inciting; instigating] the 2016 coup that nearly swept him from power.
Prosecutors in Istanbul allege that Enes Kanter, a Turkish center for the New York Knicks, belongs to the movement of U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, which Turkey regards as a terrorist organization [the U.S. does not], and have …publicized an arrest warrant for Mr. Kanter through Interpol, a Turkish official said Tuesday.
The 26-year-old Mr. Kanter, who has been playing in the NBA since 2011, calls himself a “servant” of Mr. Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania. But the basketball player denies the organization of Mr. Gulen has had any involvement in terrorism-related activity. Mr. Gulen has denied playing any role in the failed coup.
Kanter told reporters January 4 that he would [skip] the Knicks’ game against the Washington Wizards on Jan. 17 in London because he believes he could be [arrested or] assassinated for his support for Mr. Gulen. [The Knicks lost the game to the Wizards by a single point.]
“I talked to the front office and sadly I’m not going because of that freaking lunatic, the Turkish president,” Kanter said. “There’s a chance I can get killed out there. That’s why I talked to the front office, and I’m not going so I’m just going to stay here and just practice here.”
When asked if he really thought he could be killed if he went to the United Kingdom, he replied, “Oh yeah, easy. They’ve got a lot of spies there. I think I can get killed there very easy. It would be a very ugly situation.”
“Anyone who speaks out against Erdogan is a target,” Mr. Kanter said in another tweet on Tuesday. “That includes me.”
Former Turkish basketball player Hedo Turkoglu slammed New York Knicks forward Enes Kanter over Kanter’s decision to skip a game in London due to alleged fears he could be killed over his opposition to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkoglu, the current president of the Turkish Basketball Federation and a chief adviser to Erdogan, accused Kanter of “trying to get in the limelight with irrational justifications and political remarks.”
Turkoglu said Kanter’s remarks amounted to a “smear campaign” against Erdogan.
“Kanter not only targeted the Republic of Turkey, governed by the rule of law, with unjust accusations but he also regarded the British security forces as weak and attempted to harm Turkish-British relations,” the statement read. “It is obvious that this person’s remarks are irrational and distort the truth.”
Kanter has been a vocal critic of Erdogan for years, once referring to him as “the Hitler of our century.” His Turkish passport was revoked in 2017 and an international warrant for his arrest was issued by Turkey.
Kanter’s father, Mehmet, was indicted last year and charged with “membership in a terror group.” The former professor lost his job after the failed military coup even though he publicly disavowed his son and his beliefs.
In July, Kanter told Fox News he gets “three or four death threats every week.” He said he believed the threats are from pro-Erdogan supporters both in Turkey and outside of it.
Kanter said he feels safe in the U.S.
“But anywhere outside America would be very dangerous,” he said.
Article Source: https://www.studentnewsdaily.com/daily-news-article/world-1-turkey-seeks-arrest-of-new-york-knicks-player-enes-kanter/
Image source : https://www.studentnewsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/enes-kanter-820x546.jpg
VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. extradition / noun : the procedure by which a state or nation, upon receipt of a formal request by another state or nation, turns over to thatsecond jurisdiction an individual charged with or convicted of a crime in that jurisdiction.
2. prominent / adjective : standing out so as to be seen easily; conspicuous; particularly noticeable:
3. instigate / verb : to cause by incitement; foment:
4. coup / noun : a highly successful, unexpected stroke, act, or move; a clever action or accomplishment.
5. lunatic / noun : (no longer in technical use; now considered offensive) an insane person.
6. irrational / adjective : without the faculty of reason; deprived of reason.
7. disavow / verb : to disclaim knowledge of, connection with, or responsibility for; disown; repudiate:
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. For Turkey :
a) list the who, what, where and when of the news item.
b) For what reasons has the president of Turkey issued an arrest warrant with Interpol for Turkish NBA player Enes Kanter?
c) Why did Kanter skip his team's game against the Washington Wizards that was played in London last week? What did he say?
d) Kanter said he feels safe in the U'S. "But anywhere outside America would be very dangerous," he said
- What is your reaction to the fact that Mr Kanter trusts the U.S, but not UK goverment to keep him safe?
- How do you think the government of Turkey views the U.S. if they would not try to do anything to Mr. Kanter here, but might in the UK?
