Enes Kanter is going to make the trip to Canada for Christmas Day.
There had been doubt the Turkish big man would be able to travel north of the border for the Boston Celtics’ holiday tilt against the Toronto Raptors, and with the team down big men Robert Williams III and Vincent Poirier, there was legitimate concern about the health of the frontcourt rotation.
Kanter’s dilemma arose from the revocation of his passport in 2017 due to his opposition of human rights abuses by the Turkish government under president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, making international travel a dicy affair for the Zurich native.
Erdogan’s government issued an international arrest warrant, meaning any government could decide to turn him over to Turkish authorities at any moment while he’s abroad.
Thanks to the Canadian government, @EnesKanter writes in the @globeandmail, the @Celtics big man/Erdogan critic will play his first overseas game in years in Toronto against the Raptors on Christmas Day, despite Turkey's Interpol Red Notice against him: https://t.co/ckLv5EE47N
— Adrian Lee (@AdrianKLee) December 23, 2019
Penning a letter of thanks in the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail, Kanter made a point of thanking the people of Canada for standing with him by assuring safe passage for the outspoken center, in particular those who helped make the trip a safe one.
” I want to thank Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, U.S. and Canadian law enforcement, U.S. Senator Ed Markey, the Celtics, the NBA and my managers for working diligently to make my Christmas game against the Raptors possible and ensuring my safety there,” wrote Kanter.
“Standing up for something we believe in makes us better humans,” added the 6-foot-10 big man.
With the political aspect looming in the background of Wednesday’s game finally sorted, the contest can go ahead without risk of incident, allowing the focus to be on the players and their play instead.
“I couldn’t be happier that these people have worked together to stand up to Turkey’s injustice and that I will finally get to join my team and do what I do best: play basketball,” closed Kanter.