Court releases father of Gülen follower NBA star Enes Kanter

TEKİRDAĞ

DHA photo

A court in the northwestern province of Tekirdağ released the father of NBA player Enes Kanter on June 7, Doğan News Agency has reported.

The court ordered the release of Mehmet Kanter under “judicial control.”

Kanter’s father had been detained on June 2 in connection with an inquiry into the movement led by U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, accused of masterminding the July 2016 failed coup attempt.

Kanter, 25, a center for Oklahoma City Thunder, previously backed Gülen openly in Twitter postings after the attempted takeover, which led to his family disowning him and denouncing his support for Gülen.

Turkey issued an arrest warrant on May 26 for Kanter, who was born in Switzerland, after an investigation was launched into his alleged membership of “an armed terrorist organization.”

Ankara refers to the Gülen movement as the “Fethullahist Terror Organization” (FETO) but supporters like the NBA player call it a social initiative advocating human rights.

The player’s passport was cancelled last month by Turkish authorities leading to Kanter being briefly detained in Romania.