Enes Kanter Says His Father Has Been Released After Spending 7 Years In Turkish Prison
BOSTON (CBS) -- Enes Kanter had a reason to celebrate Friday morning. The Celtics center tweeted that his father had been released from prison in his native Turkey, seven years after he was arrested.
"Wow! I could cry," Kanter wrote on his Twitter account. "Today I found out that 7 years after arresting my dad, taking him through a Kangaroo court and accusing him of being a criminal just because he is my dad. MY DAD HAS BEEN RELEASED! This is due to the pressure we have put on the Turkish regime."
Kanter has long been a critic of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and he has never been silent about his condemnation of the country's leader. Kanter had two more tweets about his father's release on Friday, pushing for more to question his regime.
1) Wow!
— Enes FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) June 19, 2020
I could cry
Today I found out that 7 years after arresting my dad, taking him through a Kangaroo court and accusing him of being a criminal just because he is my dad.
MY DAD HAS BEEN RELEASED!
This is due to the pressure we have put on the Turkish regime.
2) They no longer could keep him from his freedom because of the spotlight that we all put on this case!
— Enes FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) June 19, 2020
However! He is just one person, there are still tens of thousands of people wrongfully in jail in Turkey.
I will not forget you, we will not forget you!
3) This proves that the voice of the people will always push Dictators to do the right thing in the end.
— Enes FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) June 19, 2020
Don't be scared to stand for what is right, always and always,
Stand for FREEDOM
Stand for DEMOCRACY
Stand for HUMAN RIGHTS
Kanter's clashes with the Turkish government date back years, and in 2017, it led to his Turkish passport being canceled. He has lived in fear of being deported back to Turkey, as Turkish prosecutors have sought an international arrest warrent for the 28-year-old.
On Monday, Kanter tweeted that he is one year away from officially becoming a U.S. citizen. He is in his first year of a two-year contract with the Celtics, averaging 8.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game for Boston.