Former NBA star Enes Kanter Freedom, who the league sidelined after he condemned China’s ongoing genocide in East Turkistan, confirmed to Breitbart News this week he continues to face persecution from the government of his native Turkey and urged Americans to “speak up and act” against repressors.
Kanter Freedom, an outspoken member of the Hizmet Muslim movement, had for years faced persecution from the Islamist government of Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at home for both his faith and his condemnation of Erdoğan’s authoritarian actions. Erdoğan has imprisoned thousands of people on dubious charges of being part of Hizmet, which he claims without evidence is a “terrorist” organization, in addition to shutting down dozens of media outlets in the country that he could not control and imprisoning any politician showing potential of being a viable presidential candidate. He has “won” the past few presidential elections in a climate of state violence and censorship, leading President Donald Trump to mock Erdogan to his face during his last visit to the White House, quipping, “this guy knows about rigged elections better than anybody.”
The founder of Hizmet, U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gülen, died in 2024, but Erdoğan continues to persecute those who follow his movement, which prioritizes the expansion of education opportunities and interfaith dialogue. Kanter Freedom told Breitbart News in comments on Thursday that he is among those still facing persecution for his faith, as Erdoğan “targets anyone who believes in independent thought, rule of law, and limits on power.”
Kanter Freedom also commented on the malign influence of Erdoğan’s government throughout the world, particularly his alliances with deposed Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and the jihadist interim president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa. In addition to Kanter’s advocacy for freedom in his home country, he used his time in the NBA to call for an end to the repressive regimes in Venezuela and Cuba; he has previously explained to Breitbart News that he ultimately lost his NBA career when he became vocal in condemning the genocide of the majority-Muslim Uyghur population by the Chinese government, which has cut numerous lucrative deals with the league.
The basketball-star-turned-activist will be speaking at the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit in Washington, DC, next week, joining a panel on Tuesday specifically addressing transnational repression as a victim of the practice during his NBA career. The IRF Summit offers a platform annually to the victims of authoritarian regimes, terrorist organizations, and other actors to tell their stories and galvanize support for the right to practice faith, or choose not to, without the fear of violence. Kanter is also the author of In the Name of Freedom: A Political Dissident’s Fight for Human Rights in the NBA and Around the World, in which he narrates the state violence and repression he has faced for using his platform to condemn persecution.
RELATED: Enes Kanter Freedom Discusses Actual Authoritarianism Under Turkish Regime
“Yes, the persecution from Erdoğan absolutely continues. It’s not personal, it’s ideological. He targets anyone who believes in independent thought, rule of law, and limits on power,” Kanter Freedom told Breitbart News. “After the passing of Fethullah Gülen, nothing fundamentally changed for the people associated with the Hizmet movement. The persecution continues because it was never about one man. It was about an idea.”
“Hizmet has always stood for education, civic responsibility, interfaith dialogue, and peaceful coexistence. Those are not radical ideas. Those are Western values,” he explained, adding that Erdoğan’s actions are not limited to silencing the Hizmet movement but, rather, “fears a society where people think freely, respect different faiths, and hold leaders accountable.”
“Those principles are compatible with the West because they are universal. And that’s exactly why dictators try so hard to crush them,” he added.
Asked about recent developments in Venezuela, where the U.S. government arrested longtime Erdoğan ally Maduro, Kanter Freedom noted that the two “forged a political, economic, and diplomatic alignment that helped Maduro survive international isolation and sanctions.”
“Erdoğan’s backing helped Maduro resist external pressure from the U.S. and European governments, and created economic channels that softened the impact of sanctions,” he explained.
Erdoğan has also lent support to Sunni jihadist Syrian rebels for upwards of a decade. Those jihadists took over the country from deposed dictator Bashar Assad in late 2024, creating a situation of tremendous fear for religious minorities.
“What concerns me most in Syria is this: after years of brutal civil war and the collapse of Assad’s regime, religious and ethnic minorities remain extremely vulnerable,” Kanter Freedom explained. “Alawites, Christians, and Kurds have all faced targeted violence and discrimination as the conflict reshapes the country. There have been documented massacres and attacks on Alawite communities, and Christians fear for their safety and future in a landscape where armed groups with sectarian agendas still hold power in many areas.”
“Turkey’s role complicates all of this,” Kanter Freedom continued. “Ankara has pursued its own strategic interests in northern Syria by supporting armed groups and opposing Kurdish autonomy. If Erdogan adopts the so-called ends justify the means approach in pursuing Ankara’s objectives in Syria, such a policy could become a major destabilizing factor in the region.”
Sharaa, the president and head of the jihadist terror organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has insisted in public that he seeks to build a government that respects religious freedom. Sharaa has attracted international support, including from President Trump, who has met with him twice and spoken with him extensively. Kanter Freedom warned nonetheless that “the HTS’ past and present connections and affiliations to jihadist extremism and the composition of its military forces cause great concerns for religious persecution.”
Kanter Freedom told Breitbart News that the cause of ensuring every individual has the right to follow a faith or choose not to in peace is one that Americans can play a major role in.
“I want Americans to understand that religious freedom doesn’t defend itself,” he explained. “It survives only when free people are willing to speak up and act. The United States has moral influence when it chooses to use it, and silence from America is often read by dictators as permission.”
Among suggestions for actions that Americans can take, Kanter Freedom suggested “hold[ing] elected officials accountable for foreign policy that prioritizes human rights, not just short-term interests,” supporting humanitarian groups, and “demand[in] that refugees fleeing religious persecution are treated with dignity, not suspicion.”
“Religious freedom is not a favor we grant others. It’s a principle worth defending everywhere, because once it disappears somewhere, it becomes easier to erase everywhere,” he concluded.
Follow Frances Martel on Facebook and Twitter.