Turkey seeks Interpol red notice for NBA player Kanter over FETÖ links

ISTANBUL

An Istanbul prosecutor has applied for an Interpol “red notice” to be issued for Turkish NBA player Enes Kanter for his links to FETÖ, the group that is widely believed to have orchestrated the failed coup attempt of 2016.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has prepared paperwork also seeking the player’s extradition, state-run Anadolu Agency said on Jan. 15.

An Interpol red notice informs the police agency’s member states about a suspected criminal wanted in one country.

The documents prepared by the Istanbul prosecutor’s office have been sent to the “relevant ministries,” Anadolu’s report added, without giving details.

Kanter, a New York Knicks’ center, was indicted by a Turkish court last year over “membership of an armed terrorist group.”

Kanter is a devoted follower of the U.S.-based Fethullah Gülen, leader of FETÖ.

Anadolu Agency said the extradition request includes social media comments made about Gülen by Kanter, who has often declared his support for the self-exiled cleric.

Turkey previously revoked Kanter’s passport and declared him a fugitive for his support of Gülen.

In May 2017, Kanter was refused entry into Romania because of the cancellation of his Turkish passport.

Kanter holds a U.S. green card that allows him to live and work in the country on a permanent basis.