Knicks Star Enes Kanter Faces Jail Time In Native Turkey: Reports

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — New York Knicks star Enes Kanter is facing jail time in his native Turkey, a Turkish state-run news agency reported Wednesday.

Turkish prosecutors have demanded Kanter serve a four-year jail sentence for insulting Preisdent Tayyip Erdogan, state-run media outlet Anadolu Agency first reported. Kanter is accused of using his Twitter account to support Erdogan's rival Fetullah Gulen after a failed coup in 2016.

Gulen is a Turkish preacher based in the United States. The Turkish government considers him to be a terrorist, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.

This isn't the first time Erdogan's government has taken action against the Knicks player. In May, Kanter was detained in Romania after his Turkish passport was canceled. Kanter detailed the ordeal in a series of messages and videos posted on his personal Twitter account. Kanter was held in the airport for hours with a police detail and claimed he was detained due to his political views.

Kanter lives in the United States and would not have to serve out his Turkish jail sentence — if convicted — unless the U.S. Government arrests him and extradites him to Turkey. On Wednesday, Kanter tweeted "Stand For What You Believe!" accompanied by a news clip detailing his criticisms of Erdogan.

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