Enes Kanter's fight for equality in his native Turkey has blocked the Celtics center from returning home. Although he could seek political asylum in the United States, Kanter revealed to TMZ that he's very close to becoming a legal citizen.
"I'm actually becoming a U.S. citizen in two years," Kanter said. In his excitement, he also disclosed that a name change could be pending.
"I'm actually thinking about adding an American name. I'm still thinking about it. I don't know yet," Kanter said. He doesn't have any potential names in mind.
After denouncing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on several occasions, Kanter was labeled a terrorist by the Turkish government and could be imprisoned if he returns home. In fact, his relationship with Turkey is so fractured that Kanter was allowed to skip the Knicks contest in London because there was a chance he would be killed by Turkish sympathizers. Despite the danger, Kanter tells TMZ that he will continue to be critical of Erdogan.
"It's definitely tough to fight against a dictator. But, I definitely got hope," Kanter explained. "I'm trying to be the voice of hopeless, innocent people who don't have one. So, I think it's very important to just go out there and create awareness about human rights and democracy."
