Turkey Officials Attempted to Shut Down Kanter’s Camp

Enes Kanter striding into the media conference room with a smile and a plate of desserts. He wanted all the reporters to take a dessert and pass it down.

“I want the media to like me,” Kanter chuckled.

When asked questions regarding the season and Kyrie Irving, he answered all with passion and a smile. But one topic that was mentioned that brought a deeper fervor was his standing with his country, Turkey.

In 2017, Kanter was highly critical of the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He has been deemed a terrorist of his country and has a revoked passport. Last July, Turkey officials shut down Kanter’s camp for young children. He recently hosted a camp in Dorchester, Boston and the Turkish councils attempted to cease the camp. Despite their efforts, the camp prevailed. However, Kanter expressed his hurt.

“Why would you [Turkish council] do that?” Kanter asked, expressing his hurt. “It actually made me very sad. When we do basketball camps, we don’t just play basketball we talk about nutrition, anti-bullying, and education. We talk about respect and giving back to the community.”

When asked if any Turkish natives have reached out to him, he laughed.

“There are two different types of Turkish communities: my side and the other side,” Kanter said.

Kanter seems tenacious in regards of meeting Turkish people while in Boston and celebrating his culture. Moreover, he does not let his standing with Turkey affect his game on the court.