alongwithU.S.lawmakersprompted mosque.TheHagiaSophiaisan commentsaboutNBAstarLeBron theTurkishgovernmenttorelease ancientOrthodoxchurchthat James,notingthat“wheneverItalk KanterFreedom’sfather.Hisfather’s previouslyservedasamuseum aboutLeBron,itwasnotjustabout arrestledmanytoask,“Isitworthit?” “bringingpeopletogetherfrom LeBron,itwasaboutalltheathletes Theathleteinsistedthat“people differentreligionsanddifferent outtherewhocallthemselvesasocial misunderstand." cultures.”HecharacterizedErdogan’s justicewarriorbutsign[with]a "Myfamilyisonlyone.Thereareso actionasanattemptto“getmorevotes companywherethey’reliterallydoing manyfamilies,somanyinnocent in2023,”referringtotheupcoming slavelaborworkinChina.” peopleoutthereinjailrightnow Turkishpresidentialelection. Nike,themultinationalcorporation gettingtorturedandmayberapedevery “Thatisunacceptable.Igrewup KanterFreedomwasreferringto,isthe day,soIhavetostandupforthose aroundthatareaandtherearesomany biggestsponsoroftheNBA.He people,"KanterFreedomsaid. mosquesandtheyarenotevenhalf- lamentedthat“NikestandswithBlack Thisactivismiswhatledtohisexile full, sowhywouldyouchange[the LivesMatter,NoAsianHate,[the] fromTurkey. HagiaSophia]intoanothermosque?” Latinocommunity,[the]LGBTQ “I’mspeakingthetruth.Allthe heasked. communitybutwhenitcomesto thingsthatItalkabout[are]fact.It’s Healsolamentedthattheyouthin China,theyremaindeadsilent.” outthereonallthehumanrights Turkeyare“growingupanti-West,anti- KanterFreedomlistedother reportsoutthere.It’snotlikeI’m Christianandanti-Semiticbecause countrieswherehesawthestateof lying,"hesaid."AndwhatI’maskingis wheneverErdoganholdsarallyin religiousfreedomastroubling, Iwantfreedomofmyconscience, Turkey,heattacksChristiansandhe includingVenezuela,Cuba,North freedomofspeech,religionand attacksIsraeltogainmorevotes.” KoreaandIran:“Theyarenotableto expression,andIwantdemocracyin KanterFreedomseesitashis expresstheirreligionsfreely.SoIfeel mycountry.Iwanthumanrightsinmy missionto“bringallthesegroupsback likewehavetodosomethingabout country.Iwantallthepolitical togetheragain”andeducate“young this.” prisonerstobefreedandallthe TurksinAmericasowecanhavea Theathleteconcludedtheinterview journaliststobefreedinmycountry.” betterandbrighterfuture.”Hebelieves byassessingtheBiden Theathletecontendedthat“ifthese that“allathleteshaveajob”to“educate administration’shandlingofreligious thingsaregoingtogetmeintrouble,” ouryouth”aboutinjusticesandthreats freedom.Henotedthat“beforethey theconsequenceshefacesconstitutea todemocracythatextendbeyond tookoffice,theypromisedthewhole formof“goodtrouble.” Turkey. worldthattheyweregoingtodo “Itiswhatitis,butsomeonehasto “Athleteshaveanenormous whatevertheycantopromote dothisbecause,unfortunately,like outreach,”headded.“There’ssomany democracyandhumanrightsand China,manypeopleinTurkeyare nowbecauseofsocialmedia,allthese freedomaroundtheworld.” scaredtosayanythingaboutitbecause appsandsmartphones,there’smillions “Unfortunately,Ihaven’tseenanyof if yousayaword,thenextdayyou’re ofkidsouttherewhoidolizethese that”fromtheBidenadministration goingtobeinjail,"KanterFreedom athletes.” thusfar,hesaid. stressed. KanterFreedomstressedthe KanterFreedomdeclaredthat“you “Thetoughestpartrightnowisnot importanceofathleteseducating cannotplaybodyballwith beingabletoseemyfamily,”headded. “themselvesmoresotheycaneducate dictatorships,”suggestingthatthe KanterFreedomsayshehasn'tseen othersaroundthemandtheir Bidenadministrationneedsto“do hisfamilysince2015. audience,”specificallyregarding something”aboutTurkey’s “They’regettingoldand internationalissues. involvementintheongoingRussia- unfortunately,there’sno “Itisalwaysreallysadtomehow Ukraineconflict. communicationrightnow,"hesaid."So peoplecancallthemselvesasocial “[Erdogan]isplayingthisRussian- Icouldn’teveninvitethemtooneofmy justicewarriorandhumanrights Ukrainegamesowell.Hesellsdrones NBAgames.” activistbutwhenthethingsthatthey toUkrainebutatthesametime,helets KanterFreedom,aMuslim,also talkaboutaffecttheirmoneyand oligarchsinTurkey.” slammedErodgan’scrackdownon business,theywon’tsayawordabout KanterFreedomproclaimedthat religiousminoritiesas“unacceptable.” it. Andthat’shypocrisy,andwehaveto whileTurkeyisaNATOally,itdoesnot HestronglycriticizedErdogan’s exposethem.” “actlikeaNATOally”butrather“acts movetomaketheHagiaSophiaa Theathletediscussedhisprevious morelikeafriendofRussia.” Christianpost.com 27