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Turkey arrests/kidnaps Enes Kanter's father.

I woke this morning to the news of my father being arrested by the Turkish government. The police raided our home in Istanbul, something that is happening to many innocent families across Turkey just because they are members of Hizmet, inspired by Scholar Fethullah Gulen. Hizmet today is a transnational social initiative that advocates for the ideals of human rights, equal opportunity, democracy, non-violence and the emphatic acceptance of religious and cultural diversity.

The AKP (Current regime) has su­ppressed Free Media, blocked opposition parties in countless ways, changed the constitution granting unprecedented powers, and altered democracy so that they may consolidate power.

My father is arrested because of my outspoken criticism of the ruling party. He may get tortured for simply being my family member. There are countless stories that Amnesty International has published about rape, torture, and sodomy in the Turkish prisons following the alleged failed Military Coup attempt on July 15, 2016, that is blamed on innocent individuals of Hizmet. You may clearly see that benefactor of this failed coup was the Turkish Government.

According to Amnesty International & TurkeyPurge.com the AKP Government has detained 104,000 peaceful individuals, which consist of 17,000 women, many of whom are pregnant, or imprisoned with their children. They have shut down nearly 150 media outlets, arrested 234 journalists, which is more than any other country since July 15, 2016. In fact, they have dismissed 4,424 judges & prosecutors further eliminating checks and balances. These acts have assisted in Erdogan’s attempt to consolidate power even further.

For a second please think and imagine, if something like this is happening to an NBA player, what is happening to the people with no voice or podium to speak on? There could be hundreds of thousands of people that are detained, tortured, or murdered that we are not hearing about. Freedom of expression is a basic human right, and I ask the WORLD to join me in seeking justice and equality for all and to reject oppressive regimes and dictatorships.

http://www.eneskanter11.com/2017/06/02/statement-on-my-fathers-politically-motivated-arrest/

Erdogan has tried several times to arrest/kidnap Enes over the last month or so and is now taking more drastic tactics. This is evil and arguably the most insane story in the world right now. A dictatorship is trying to kidnap an NBA player.
 
His family disowned him because of his criticism of the regime....but the regime kidnaps and tortures one of their own followers to get someone thousands of miles away.

What a mess.
 

Armaros

Member
And erodgan is Trumps newest best friend, so we should expect zero mention of this from the administration.
 
Can Turkey at least be booted from NATO? How does that process even work? Some states such as Greece have left voluntarily only to rejoin later, but I can't recall an expulsion.
 

18-Volt

Member
Can Turkey at least be booted from NATO? How does that process even work? Some states such as Greece have left voluntarily only to rejoin later, but I can't recall an expulsion.

Why do you even wish for that? Turkey is an extremely delicate country, isolating it would literally be the end for it. NATO is the thing keeping Turkey as one piece, keeping minorities -almost- silent. Tiniest spark would cause a huge explosion, if you take away all the NATO resources and weapons from Turkish Army, Kurdistan would declare independence instantly. Turkey basically is nothing without the NATO backing. And if Kurds declare independence, the others would follow, leaving Turkey in a dark chaos. Why would anyone want more bloodshed?

If you hate Erdogan and his people, at least ask for something that could actually work. Like, and actual coup? Interpol investigation about his corruption allegations? Maybe... an assassination?
 

geestack

Member
this is such a sad and harrowing story. i hope kanter gets his wish and is able to become a us citizen, though i don't know how that would help him with his father's situation.
 

Kerensky

Banned
Can Turkey at least be booted from NATO? How does that process even work? Some states such as Greece have left voluntarily only to rejoin later, but I can't recall an expulsion.

Tall order, the US keep ICBMs there who would have to be removed or handed over if turkey left.
 

Heshinsi

"playing" dumb? unpossible
Why do you even wish for that? Turkey is an extremely delicate country, isolating it would literally be the end for it. NATO is the thing keeping Turkey as one piece, keeping minorities -almost- silent. Tiniest spark would cause a huge explosion, if you take away all the NATO resources and weapons from Turkish Army, Kurdistan would declare independence instantly. Turkey basically is nothing without the NATO backing. And if Kurds declare independence, the others would follow, leaving Turkey in a dark chaos. Why would anyone want more bloodshed?

If you hate Erdogan and his people, at least ask for something that could actually work. Like, and actual coup? Interpol investigation about his corruption allegations? Maybe... an assassination?
Excuse me if I don't find a damn thing wrong with the Kurds getting their own nation state.
 

18-Volt

Member
Excuse me if I don't find a damn thing wrong with the Kurds getting their own nation state.

It might not be a bad thing but it would leave a country in utter chaos behind. As I said before, independence would be the spark that would cause explosions. People are already at each other throats in Turkey, I wouldn't imagine what happens if army gets even more crippled. A civil war doesn't sound so farfetched (not between Turks and Kurds, between what's left of the army and what Erdogan calls his folks).
 

iamblades

Member
It might not be a bad thing but it would leave a country in utter chaos behind. As I said before, independence would be the spark that would cause explosions. People are already at each other throats in Turkey, I wouldn't imagine what happens if army gets even more crippled. A civil war doesn't sound so farfetched (not between Turks and Kurds, between what's left of the army and what Erdogan calls his folks).

Chaos is inevitable for the next century in that entire part of the world until the map is redrawn in a way that is more stable for the long term(or until enough people on one side or another die to pacify the area).

Trying to band-aid the situation by supporting dictators that we think we can use to our advantage hasn't been shown to work at all for the last 70 years, and I don't have any hopes that it will start working any time soon.

What that area needs is for a long term large scale UN peacekeeping project to oversee the creation of new and more stable nation states, but it will never happen because too many players(most notably Russia and the US, two nations with UNSC vetos) are too busy trying to use the regional instability to create a favorable situation for themselves.
 
We cannot allow Turkey to go off the deep end like this.

Should we regain competent leadership that is not bought out by Turkish/Russian nationalists, pressuring regime change isn't crazy.
 

Ogodei

Member
"If you're a political enemy of Erdogan, we'll either kill you or kill your family."

That's the goal.

But Erdogan is overreaching so badly that it is insanity. He's both a dictator and doesn't seem well.

He really jumped off the deep end fast, which might be good because his levels of support aren't so overwhelmingly high that the country can't be reclaimed.

Though what'll happen is Venezuela style nastiness where his support slips and he becomes more desperate over time.
 

firehawk12

Subete no aware
It might not be a bad thing but it would leave a country in utter chaos behind. As I said before, independence would be the spark that would cause explosions. People are already at each other throats in Turkey, I wouldn't imagine what happens if army gets even more crippled. A civil war doesn't sound so farfetched (not between Turks and Kurds, between what's left of the army and what Erdogan calls his folks).
Let it burn?
Of course we're in a weird reality where the type of dictator you are basically gives you a free pass.
 
This is insane. Kanter would be jailed for life/killed if he goes back but his father already disowned him so there is nothing more that can be done by him. And lol at the state department doing anything more. If Kanter wasn't rich and famous in the US he would already be dead

He better boost his security before some erdogan flunkie comes after him.
 

Bashtee

Member
Fits the MO he's had for over a year now. Shit is crazy in Turkey.

Why do you even wish for that? Turkey is an extremely delicate country, isolating it would literally be the end for it. NATO is the thing keeping Turkey as one piece, keeping minorities -almost- silent.

That's the shit you get for hunting minorities. Can't call it anything else. Also, Erdogan doesn't allow visitations for german politicians in Incirlik Air Base, a NATO ally. He kind of is fucking around a lot, lately.
 

oti

Banned
We cannot allow Turkey to go off the deep end like this.

Should we regain competent leadership that is not bought out by Turkish/Russian nationalists, pressuring regime change isn't crazy.

Erdogan is awful. But the last thing you want is a power vacuum in that region.
 
This is the same guy that said he'll support Gülen over his own parents lol

Excuse me if I don't find a damn thing wrong with the Kurds getting their own nation state.
What country are you from and is it ok if the minorities that live carve out theirnown state?
 
Glad you think this is funny
Of course. The guy is a brainwashed cultish freak, supporting a crazy cultman that tried to kill Erdogan. Guy is insane. I don't like Erdogan, but Gülen has been a threat to the Republic for decades, Erdogan is small time compared to him.

It's sad Kanter's father has been caught up in this. They disowned their son for his crazy views.
 
Of course. The guy is a brainwashed cultish freak, supporting a crazy cultman that tried to kill Erdogan. Guy is insane. I don't like Erdogan, but Gülen has been a threat to the Republic for decades, Erdogan is small time compared to him.

It's sad Kanter's father has been caught up in this. They disowned their son for his crazy views.

Again glad you think this is funny.
 
I'm glad Kanter is going public about this. This needs to be shared. But I honestly don't know what is going to happen next with his dad since the US administration or Trump won't give a damn.
 
Of course. The guy is a brainwashed cultish freak, supporting a crazy cultman that tried to kill Erdogan. Guy is insane. I don't like Erdogan, but Gülen has been a threat to the Republic for decades, Erdogan is small time compared to him.

It's sad Kanter's father has been caught up in this. They disowned their son for his crazy views.

The charter school guy is more of a threat to the Republic than the dictator who has put all of his political enemies in prison.

Hmm.

Enjoy your vacation.

Try not to laugh at a picture of Erdogan while you still live in Turkey so you can avoid prison.
 
Gülen's PR work in the West has ironically showed you guys as the brainwashed ones, if only you knew.

Supporting one Islamist over another is not a good position to take. Supporting anyone that is against Erdogan just because they are against Erdogan is a simple position to take.

It's better to support the Kemalist demographic, they are the reason Turkey isn't a 3rd World mess.

Kanter and his cult wants Turkey to be like Iran.
 
Of course. The guy is a brainwashed cultish freak, supporting a crazy cultman that tried to kill Erdogan. Guy is insane. I don't like Erdogan, but Gülen has been a threat to the Republic for decades, Erdogan is small time compared to him.

It's sad Kanter's father has been caught up in this. They disowned their son for his crazy views.

There's literally no evidence Gülen had any involvement in the coup regardless of where you stand on this issue. Otherwise the US would have complied with the extradition request.
 

NeOak

Member
I know one gafer who might skip this thread. Who's not Turkish allegedly.

XS5LK.gif
 
Gülen's PR work in the West has ironically showed you guys as the brainwashed ones, if only you knew.

Supporting one Islamist over another is not a good position to take. Supporting anyone that is against Erdogan just because they are against Erdogan is a simple position to take.

It's better to support the Kemalist demographic, they are the reason Turkey isn't a 3rd World mess.

Kanter and his cult wants Turkey to be like Iran.


You're cheering on a kidnapping that is designed to allow them to kidnap someone else... you have no moral high ground here.
 

darkinstinct

...lacks reading comprehension.
Gülen's PR work in the West has ironically showed you guys as the brainwashed ones, if only you knew.

Supporting one Islamist over another is not a good position to take. Supporting anyone that is against Erdogan just because they are against Erdogan is a simple position to take.

It's better to support the Kemalist demographic, they are the reason Turkey isn't a 3rd World mess.

Kanter and his cult wants Turkey to be like Iran.

Yeah, Erdogan and Gülen are both despicable. Turkey needs to get its directions right.
 
Erdogan is awful. But the last thing you want is a power vacuum in that region.

The longer Erdogan is in power the less of a chance there is to salvage Turkey and it's ability to be a secular Muslim state. There are enough people there that still believe that is what the country should be. But they will continue to be killed, schools shut down, propoganda spread, elections rigged. It will just be another country propped up by a dictator.

We actively have something to lose here by sitting back and allowing this man to do what he wants and pat him on the back and say he's better than no leader.
 

CTLance

Member
Ugh. Turkey under Erdogan is a terrible and scary place.

We Germans really need to pull our airbase out of this country ASAP. Don't give this asshole and his cronies money and legitimisation.
 
Gulen's contribution to the US is a bunch of... charter schools.

I mean, we like charter schools here, but I'm pretty sure we wouldn't appreciate our charter school guy trying to do regime change against a NATO ally.

Regardless, uhh, you shouldn't kidnap your political enemies even if you have enemies that have weird beliefs.
 
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