Minutes after Enes Kanter stood in solidarity with Armenians and acknowledged the Armenian Genocide, the Turkish NBA star began receiving death threats. Read more
Enes Kanter is finally standing in solidarity with Armenians.
The Turkish NBA player, who has long been critical of Recep Erdogan’s regime in Turkey, had never publicly acknowledged the Armenian Genocide until Sunday.
In an Instagram post, Kanter said, “As part of my wish to stand up for human rights for all people over the last few weeks, I had a chance to meet several well-respected historians and scholars and it was eye opening to learn more about the Armenian Genocide and face my ignorance.
“The education system in Turkey is nationalist, biased and ignored millions of people’s sufferings. At the point where I am today, I share the pain of millions of Armenians. I believe Turkey must face its past and present crimes. I also strongly believe that democracy will eventually come to Turkey one day and it will then bind up the wounds of millions of people, including Armenians and other minorities.”
Kanter also announced his plans to open up a basketball camp in Los Angeles “for my Armenian brothers and sisters next week.”
Kanter’s statement is in contrast to what he has said before about the Armenian Genocide — which isn’t much. In an interview with Patrick Bet-David, Kanter didn’t deny but also didn’t acknowledge the events of 1915, saying he needed to do more research on the subject.
The Swiss-born Turk has been vilified by Erdogan and other Turkish nationalists and his acknowledgement of the Genocide will likely not sit well with the Turkish dictator, who has been accused of human rights violations of his own.
Kanter is entering his 11th year in the NBA after signing a contract with the Boston Celtics.
Armenian Sports News 