NBA

Report: Enes Kanter of Oklahoma City Thunder faces arrest warrant issued in Turkey

A.J. Perez
USA TODAY Sports
Enes Kanter has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder since 2015.

Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter faces an arrest warrant issued by the Turkish government over allegedly "being a member of a terrorist organization” blamed for failed coup last year, a newspaper in Turkey reported on Friday.

Turkish prosecutors have sought an international red notice — a request for foreign governments to locate and arrest an individual — from Interpol, according to the Daily Sabah. Interpol officials would have to approve the red notice — which is hardly a given — and even if one is issued, Kanter's arrest and extradition from the U.S. appears to be unlikely.

Under federal law, an Interpol red notice alone isn't sufficient grounds for an arrest. Turkey would need to submit a diplomatic request for Kanter's apprehension under the terms of the current extradition treaty between the two countries. Turkey is then required to also produce not only the arrest warrant, but also a statement of facts and evidence to justify an extradition.

"Countries have abused the red notice system," Richard Kaplan, an international law expert and partner of the California law firm Kaplan Marino, told USA TODAY Sports. "He has rights here. There will be due process."

Under terms of the Turkey-U.S. extradition treaty, somebody cannot be extradited for a "political offense."

Kanter has been a vocal critic of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and took to Twitter to mock his arrest warrant on Friday, telling Turkish authorities "don't waste your breath."

Turkey canceled Kanter’s passport last weekend over the same allegations, the newspaper reported. Kanter was detained for hours last weekend in Romania after his passport was canceled en route to Turkey.

Kanter was eventually allowed to fly to London before he returned to the U.S.

Kanter told reporters earlier in the week that he’d seek U.S. citizenship.