By Huseyin Burak Demirer
ISTANBUL (AA) - A former U.S. basketball star on Monday warned the NBA over one of its players supporting a terrorist group.
"Enes Kanter has been using the NBA platform for [spreading] the propaganda of the terrorist organization," Hidayet Turkoglu, head of the Turkish Basketball Federation, told U.S. sports channel ESPN, referring to the Fetullah Terrorist Group (FETO).
"Enes Kanter clearly supports the head of terrorist organization. l won't send any messages to the supporters of terrorist organizations,” he said, adding: “All I have to say to all my American fellows, [is] be careful."
After the July 15, 2016 defeated coup attempt in Turkey, Portland Trail Blazers player Kanter has publicly expressed support for Fetullah Gulen -- the U.S.-based leader of FETO, which orchestrated the defeated coup that left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.
After playing 15 years for NBA teams such as the Orlando Magic, Turkoglu became head of the Turkish Basketball Federation in 2015.
Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.