Turkey seeks to jail NBA star over insulting president Erdogan

ANKARA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Turkish prosecutors Wednesday demanded over four years jail for Turkish-origin NBA player Enes Kanter on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

The 25-year-old player, who lives in the United States, is accused of insulting the Turkish president on social media, and will be tried in absentia.

The New York Knicks center voiced support for Fethullah Gulen and compared Erdogan to Adolf Hitler in Twitter after last year's coup attempt. Kanter plays for the Knicks team.

The indictment said Kanter used Twitter to "defame and deride" President Erdogan, according to the report.

Earlier this year, Kanter's passport was revoked by Turkish authorities, and an arrest warrant was issued after he was named a "fugitive" by a Turkish court.

Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based preacher, is accused by Ankara of orchestrating a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016. At least 250 people were killed and over 2,000 people were injured in the coup attempt.

The Turkish government declared a state of emergency and launched a massive crackdown on Gulen's supporters in the aftermath of the coup attempt. Enditem