Turkish basketballer Enes Kanter Freedom spoke on Monday night about the threat made against him and whether he fears for his life. In fact, speaking about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the sportsman said that he "will attack Greece one day."
Speaking about his designation by the Erdoğan government as a member of a terrorist organisation for supporting Fethullah Gülen and now on the Turkey's "Most Wanted Terrorist List," the former NBA player said "I've had so many calls from the FBI, from the American government, and they said 'this is the first time that the Erdoğan government put a price, put a reward, bounty on your head. People out there will try to come and hurt you... mafia, professional hitmen, even the cartels.'
"I had a conversation yesterday with the FBI yesterday and they said: 'from now on wherever you go, you have to let us know'."
He confessed that "of course I'm afraid for my life. This is real. Everyday I wake up, I look at my phone and there are hundreds of death threats."
In this context, Enes Kanter, in his interview with OPEN, called on world leaders and all NATO members "to take some actions against Erdoğan".
Finally, the Turkish basketball player called on Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis "to take some real actions against Erdoğan because I understand that the relationship between two countries is very important but Erdoğan is going to attack Greece one day."
The Turkish government issued a $500,000 bounty for former NBA star Enes Kanter Freedom's capture – however, the basketballer asserted that he has "no regrets," and is going to continuously risk his career, family, and "everything" he has to further his activism efforts.
"I'm trying to be the voice of all those innocent people out there who don't have a voice. So it is worth it, yes. It might cost me my career, my family, and everything I have. But I know in the end, I am doing God's work. So, yes, it is worth it. And I have no regrets," Freedom said on "Varney & Co.," Thursday.
Kanter became aware that the Turkish government placed a bounty on his "head" when he was leading a basketball camp in Vatican City. He received a phone call from the FBI telling him to return to America "immediately."
The former professional athlete was warned by "friends" that the bounty could trigger the cartels, mafia, and even serial killers to start coming after him.
During an interview on "Tucker Carlson Tonight," Wednesday, Freedom shared that he is not the "only one" to have been unfairly targeted by the Turkish government.
"You know, I'm not the only one. There are so many journalists, academics, professors and celebrities on that list," Freedom explained to host Tucker Carlson.
Kanter, however, is using his burdenous circumstances to further exemplify how problematic Turkey's dictatorship truly is and be the "voice" for those who do not have the privilege of having one.
After hearing the news, some members of Congress are calling on the Biden administration to finally "speak up," and "take some action." On Wednesday, Freedom bolstered this plea, arguing that it is time that the White House start "prioritiz[ing] human rights."
"Some of the members of the Congress actually reacted to this news and asked the Biden administration to speak up and actually take some actions. Because I remember the first time President Biden – before he took to office, actually, – the first thing he said was the problem in the Middle East is our doing, and we need to do something about it," Kanter said.
"And it's been almost two years and he has not done a thing yet. So we have to prioritize human rights," Kanter explained. "So I'm asking, please Biden administration to take some solid actions and help my friends over there, help my family over there. I haven't seen them almost ten years."
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