As backwards as things seem to be in this country right now, you still have to remember that things could be much different if we lived in an actual dictatorship.
In these sort of societies, activism and dissension are not only discouraged, they can be illegal.
Enes Kanter has been very vocal with his disapproval of the current Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his regime.
According to a report by Turkey’s state-run news agency and the Associated Press, Turkish prosecutors are seeking a more than four year prison term for Kanter because of a series of tweets condemning Erdogan in May and June of 2016.
Kanter didn’t back down to the report or threat, tweeting a picture of the report and the statement:
“I have said less than that honorless (person) deserves. Add another 4 years for me, master.”
Here is the tweet:
Az bile demi?im o ?erefsize.
Bir 4 de benden koy usta.!!!!
??? pic.twitter.com/fRR5UVS4ra— Enes FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) December 20, 2017
Kanter had his Turkish passport revoked and was detained at a Romanian airport in May before American officials intervened.
This feels like a first in professional sports and it is pretty interesting to see a player use his platform to speak out against a national leader and be threatened with jail time for it.
