Ex-NBA Player Enes Kanter Freedom Has $500K Turkish Bounty Out for Him

The Turkish government has placed a $500,000 bounty on former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom, who changed his last name in 2021 in honor of becoming a U.S. citizen. Freedom has spoken openly against the Turkish government for its human rights violations, as well as slamming the country’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan a “dictator.” He also called him the “Hitler of our century.” Now, Turkey has placed him on its “Terrorist Wanted List,” which includes a reward of up to 10 million Turkish lira—half a million in U.S. dollars—for information leading to the capture of anyone on the list. Freedom told the New York Post he found out about the bounty last week, and said the list puts a target on his back because of the financial incentive. Freedom said he has “24/7” protection to ensure his safety. “I’m speaking out because I am not the only one on that list,” Freedom said, adding that it included journalists and other athletes. The former Boston Celtic is also considering a lawsuit against the NBA, claiming the league “blackballed” him for speaking out against China.