Enes Kanter Freedom Reveals Turkey Has $500k Bounty On His Head: ‘Doing Whatever They Can To Shut Me Up’

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Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom revealed that his dwelling country’s govt, Turkey, has positioned a bounty on his head worth $500,000.

Kanter has been an outspoken critic of Turkey and China all through the eleven seasons he performed in the NBA and due to the fact that. He’s referred to as out the Turkish government for human rights violations and spoke of Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as a dictator.

In a brand new interview with Rikki Schlott of the New York Submit, Kanter Freedom spoke about the harmful bounty that labels him, and many others, “terrorists” in the united states of america.

“I’m speaking out as a result of I am not the only one on that checklist,” he advised the Post. “There are such a lot of journalists, so many activists, and so many athletes, however they aren’t as well-often called me. They are method more uncomplicated ambitions — and so they’re alone in the market.”

“That makes it so scary,” he stated. “Before the bounty, Turkish intelligence had been after the individuals on the record, however now everyone is after them because they want the money.”

Kanter Freedom’s popularity in The usa and his outspokenness has angered government officers in Turkey.

“As a result of my platform, every time I say one thing, it goes in every single place, and the Turkish executive hates that,” Kanter Freedom introduced. “They’re in reality sick of it, and they mentioned ‘sufficient is enough’ and are doing no matter they could to close me up.”

The former NBA player took steps to shield himself from people who find themselves seeking to result in hurt to him. He also introduced that there are less widespread people who have bounties out for them who are harmless like him.

“I’m being secure 24/7,” Kanter Freedom persisted. “I’m conversing out as a result of I’m not the one one on that checklist. There are such a large amount of journalists, so many activists, and so many athletes, however aren’t as well-known as me. They are way more straightforward objectives, they usually’re alone in the market.”

Kanter Freedom advised The Put up that he’s exploring the choices of suing the NBA as a result of he felt the league blackballed him after his criticism of the Chinese language executive.

“I’m waiting for the fitting time,” Kanter Freedom mentioned.

According to ESPN, NBA China is worth as much as five billion dollars. The NBA owns ninety percent of the entity, and ESPN also owns five p.c of the shares. Several state-controlled banks own the opposite 5 %.

“They’re a a hundred% American made organization, but they are being managed and run through the most important dictatorship on the earth, China,” Kanter Freedom delivered. “How can China fire an American citizen from an American organization? That’s unacceptable.”

NBA spokesman Mike Bass mentioned to The Submit, “The league office has had no involvement in crew roster choices involving Mr. Freedom.”

Kanter Freedom became a U.S. citizen in 2021.

The submit Enes Kanter Freedom Reveals Turkey Has $500k Bounty On His Head: ‘Doing Whatever They Can To Shut Me Up’ first appeared on Mediaite.