Enes Kanter: Turkey 'seeking arrest' of New York Knicks player

Turkish prosecutors are seeking the arrest and extradition of New York Knicks enter Enes Kanter, accusing him pf being a member of an "armed terrorist group".

Mr Kanter is accused of ties to Fethullah Gulen, who Turkish authorities allege is behind the failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2016, the Daily Sabah reported.

Mr Gulen has repeatedly denied any involved in the failed coup.

Mr Kanter who describes Mr Erdogan as a “dictator”, denies the allegations.

“Turkish government can NOT present any single piece of evidence of my wrong doing,” Mr Kanter tweeted on Wednesday. “I don’t even have a parking ticket in the US. I have always been a law-abiding resident.”

Mr Kanter added, “the only thing I terrorise is the rim.”

Mr Kanter refused to travel to London earlier this month for a NBA game on 17 January, citing fears that he could be assassinated for his opposition to Mr Erdogan.

“I would love to go to London... [but] There's a chance that I can get killed out there,” he said.

Turkish prosecutors are seeking Interpol’s “Red Notice,” which is a request to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, for Mr Kanter. In order for the Knicks player to be extradited, the United States would need to acknowledge that Mr Kanter committed a crime prosecutable in the US.

Turkey has made several extradition requests, similar to that of Mr Kanter, for more than 80 people that it claims were linked to Mr Gulen.

Mr Kanter had his Turkish passport revoked in 2017. His US green card allows him to live and work in America on a permanent basis.

“If I'm in America, I'm safe. I feel very safe,” Mr Kanter said to CBSN. “But if I step outside of America, it will be a very dangerous situation. I'm facing lots of arrest [warrants].”

An arrest warrant was issued for Mr Kanter's father, Mehmet, in June 2018 after the university professor was accused of contacting members of a banned organisation.