Turkish Dictator Erdogan Places Bounty on Former NBA Player Enes Kanter Freedom

If you ever wonder how Turkey, under its current leadership, is still allowed NATO membership or why the EU rebuffs their attempts to join, look no further than how they’re treating former Boston Celtics forward Enis Kanter Freedom. Kanter, according to the NBA, changed his last name to Freedom after becoming an American citizen in 2021.

Former Boston Celtics Center Enes Kanter Freedom

After all, which of the western democracies, that comprise NATO, would issue a half-million dollar “bounty for information leading to his capture.” Freedom is now an American citizen who’s criticized the leader of a fellow NATO country, which must recognize basic human rights such as free speech.

According to National Review, “Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom, a native of Turkey, is on the country’s most-wanted-terrorist list for his comments about the government’s human-rights abuses. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government is offering up to 10 million Turkish lira, or about $500,000, for information leading to his capture, Freedom told the New York Post. Freedom is a longtime critic of Erdogan, calling him a ‘dictator’ and the ‘Hitler of our century.’ Freedom expressed support for the coup attempt against Erdogan in 2016 and was later banned from the country as a result.”

Turkey’s President Erdogan with the leaders of Russia and Iran

Essentially, a dictator is “hunting” Freedom for pointing out he’s a dictator. Enes Kanter legally changed his last name to Enes Freedom and has criticized Turkey and China for their human rights abuses. Shamefully, the Boston Celtics supported him until they didn’t, conveniently traded him. And then the Communist Chinese-lackey NBA apparently made sure Freedom found no home in the league.

Apparently, in the NBA, players and the league can crap all over cops but leave the world’s worst tyrants free to commit their atrocities.

The New York Post reported Freedom “Caused a rift in the league — which pulls in billions of dollars in revenue from China via nearly half a billion viewers — when he became an outspoken critic of Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party. He’s also been critical of Nike — a major NBA advertiser and player sponsor — for its manufacturing deals in China.”

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Steve Pomper

Steve Pomper is an author, freelance writer, and retired Seattle police officer. During his career, he served as a field training officer, on the Community Police Team, and as a mountain bike patrol coordinator. He’s written five books, including The Obama Gang and De-Policing America, and he is a contributor to the National Police Association and a freelance writer for The Tatum Report.

Originally from New England, he’s a Boston sports fan. He now lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife, Jody, a retired firefighter. He enjoys spending time with his adult kids and three grandchildren.