Kentucky Wildcats Basketball: Enes Kanter Disowned By Family

Former Kentucky Wildcats big man Enes Kanter has been disowned by his family for his views on the political turmoil in Turkey.

One of the most productive former Kentucky Wildcats in the NBA is Oklahoma City Thunder big man Enes Kanter. Though Kanter never stepped foot on the court for the Wildcats, he was a John Calipari recruit.

Thus, it’s only fair to acknowledge the news that’s bigger than basketball: Kanter’s home country of Turkey is currently in the midst of what’s bordering on a civil war.

The issue in Turkey revolves around a divide between president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Gülenist movement. Kanter, who was raised in Gülenist schools, is a proud supporter of the Gülenist movement.

According to Şeyma Eraz and Yunus Paksoy of Daily Sabah, Kanter’s family has disowned him for his stance on the turmoil in Turkey.

"“I apologize to the Turkish people and the president for having such a son…His statements and behavior trouble our family. I told Enes that we would disown him should he not change his course. He did not care.”“I would not have taken Enes to the U.S. for the basketball camp where his talent was discovered had I known that it would come to this point,” [Kanter’s father Mehmet] said."

That’s a gut-wrenching development that’s much bigger than basketball.

Kanter has made his name as one of the better young big men in the NBA today. He averaged 12.7 points and 8.1 rebounds in 21.0 minutes in 2015-16, shooting 57.6 percent from the field and ranking No. 11 in the Association in Player Efficiency Rating.

Take that all-encompassing statistic as you will, but on the offensive end of the floor, Kanter is an extraordinary player.

Unfortunately and expectedly, Kanter’s success on the court hasn’t softened the blow of losing his family.

Despite the personal cost, Kanter remains passionate in his support of the Gülenist movement. He’s a man of conviction who went as far as saying that he’d be a martyr for the group.

Kanter took to Twitter to comment on this indescribable situation.

Asher Kohn of VICE Sports translated a heartbreaking passage from Kanter’s statement.

"“Today I lost my father, my mother, my siblings and all of my relatives of 24 years,” he wrote in his Hey Universe statement. He went on to describe his upbringing and a life of learning from Fethullah Gülen’s organization. “God exists, grief does not,” Enes concluded. He signed it “Enes (Kanter) GÜLEN.”"

Emotionally, that’s a difficult paragraph to read.

As explained by Zack Beauchamp of Vox, Erdogan leads a moderate Islamist party that has limited freedom of press. More importantly, Erdogan appears to have the intention of pulling power from the people and placing it into the hands of the president—also known as himself.

The Gülen movement, named after Fethullah Gülen, seeks to restore a government that leaves a greater sense of power in the hands of the people.

Regardless of which side you take on this issue, it’s tough to see an individual disowned by their family. That’s an unimaginable occurrence for those who are fortunate enough to have a family who supports them.

Here’s hoping that Kanter and his family can one day reconcile.

must read: Kentucky fandom is a family affair

Politics aside, Kanter committed to playing for the Wildcats and is now a part of the Blue Nation family.