NBA basketball player refuses to travel to UK as he ‘doesn’t feel safe’

Mr Kanter was due to arrive with his team the New York Knicks for a high-profile game against the Washington Wizards at London’s O2 arena on 17 January. But he cancelled his appearance over fears for his life. Speaking to BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat, the 26-year-old said: “The Turkish government is obsessed with me. “I speak out against President Erdogan, and so I don’t feel safe. “It’s sad as I love Harry Potter, and wanted to come see all of London so badly, but I can’t take the risk.”

The New Yorks Knicks will arrive in London without Mr Kanter for their game against the Washington Wizards.

Mr Kanter has repeatedly blasted Turkey’s President Recep Tayyp Erdogan, referring to him as “the Hitler of our century”.

He added: “I’m not saying that Erdogan’s going to do an operation against me in London but it’s more there are lots of crazy supporters of his.

“You can say that I’m paranoid but I don’t want to take the risk.

“My team’s security said to me ‘If you go, you can’t leave your room or do any activities for the time you’re in London’.

“I’m getting more death threats, hundreds in the last few days. But I won’t stop being outspoken I want the whole world to know what’s going on in Turkey.

“It’s bigger than basketball, it’s bigger than the NBA.”

The basketball star’s father, Mehmet, was arrested in Turkey and charged with membership of a terrorist group.

Mr Kanter said the arrest was a deliberate blow against him.

He added: “It’s very sad. I haven’t talked to my parents for a long time. 

“I tried bringing them here but the Turkish government wouldn’t let them.”

A New York Knicks spokesman said Kanter had issues with his London visa, which made him decide not to travel to the UK.

However, Mr Kanter said: It’s not a visa issue. “They the Knicks are not going to come out and say ‘Enes Kanter may get killed’ – they just want to say visa issues so there is no negative energy on my team mates.

“I genuinely am worried about my safety and so are my security team. It’d be helpful I guess if the Knicks came out and said it.” 

Speaking to the BBC, Mike Bass, a spokesman for the NBA said: “The NBA has played hundreds of games outside of the US and this is a very unique and unprecedented situation.”