Arrest warrant issued for Gülen follower NBA star Enes Kanter: Report

ISTANBUL

AFP photo

An arrest warrant has been issued for Oklahoma City center Enes Kanter as part of an investigation launched into him in Turkey for being a member of an armed terrorist organization. 

Kanter, who is a staunch supporter of the U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, has been named a “fugitive” by a Turkish court, Sabah newspaper reported on May 26. 

As part of the investigation coordinated by Istanbul Chief Public Deputy Prosecutor İsmail Uçar and carried out by prosecutor Can Tunay, the Istanbul 4th Criminal Court of Peace ordered Kanter’s arrest.

The court ruling included documents and information, which said Kanter was a user of the ByLock smartphone application, which came to prominence after it emerged that it was used by the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), which is widely believed to have perpetrated the July 15, 2016, failed coup attempt. 

The court also said Kanter was sharing messages praising FETÖ on social media, adding that he was called to testify multiple times, but refused to do so, making him a “fugitive” that should be apprehended, according to the daily. 

The prosecutor’s office also applied to the Justice Ministry to contact Interpol to issue a red notice for Kanter.

Kanter was detained at an airport in Romania on May 20 after Turkey canceled his passport. He said in a video on May 20 on his Twitter account that he believed he was being held because of his political views.