By Korina Georgiou

Turks are heading to the polls early to decide their future in a historic election for the country. Shortly before the polls close, Turkish basketball player Enes Kanter Freedom, NBA star, fierce critic of Tayyip Erdogan and awarded $500,000 by the regime of the Turkish President speaks exclusively to SKAI and Corina Georgiou from the USA, where he now lives.

He confesses that he receives threats on his life every week, explains why he fears for his family and talks about whether he will return to Turkey in the future and under what conditions. He declares that he loves the people and their flag and that he might be involved in politics in the future.

He explains that true Turks love Greeks, but entire generations grow up hating their neighbors because of Erdogan’s words. He himself urges all his compatriots to vote, something he himself did at the polling stations set up abroad, while thanking the Greeks from the bottom of their hearts for hosting the Turks persecuted by the regime.

In detail, the interview of the Turkish basketball player:

ENES KANDER FRIDOM: I love Turkey, I love my flag, I love my people, but I don’t see myself going back to Turkey until Erdogan is out of power.

Korina Georgiou: You have faced serious problems after you expressed your criticism of President Erdogan. You have posted in the past about dangerous people being hired to assassinate you. Are you still receiving threats on your life, do you think your life is in danger?

ENES KANDER FRIDOM: You know, when you talk about the dictatorships that exist in the world, and Turkey is one of them, Erdogan is one of those dictators, then they will do everything they can to stop you. I was just recently declared and put on the most wanted terrorist list. And every person in the world knows I’m not a terrorist. Yes, I get threats on my life every week. I am in close contact with the FBI in America and they are trying to do everything they can to protect me. I am not afraid of Erdogan, I have never been afraid of anyone. And if I ever meet Erdogan, I’ll just spit in his face and say “shame on you”.

K.G. Do you fear for your life, do you fear for the life of your family?

ANNE KANDER FRIDOM: You know, I live in America, I don’t think they’ll be able to do anything on American soil, not the same for my family. I haven’t seen my family in almost 10 years and there is no communication between me and my family because if I pick up the phone and call them then they will be in jail the next day. Sometimes I see their photos and realize that they are growing up and I want to be able to talk to them, see them, but I don’t think that will happen until Erdogan leaves power.

K.G. What is the future of democracy in Turkey if Erdogan is re-elected to the presidency and on the other hand, what is the future of democracy if Kilindaroglu is elected President?

ENES KANDER FRIDOM: With Erdogan there is no democracy. As for Kilindaroglu, you know, he keeps talking about democracy. But until he is in power, until he proves to me that he cares about democracy, only then will I believe him. This is surely the most important election contest perhaps in the history of Turkey and I urge not only myself, but everyone, to go and vote.

K.G. Despite the fact that the Turkish economy is deeply wounded, President Erdogan has managed to turn the odds and now appears as the favorite to win another five years in power. What is it that makes Erdogan so powerful, to the extent that he almost managed to achieve an absolute majority in the first round of elections?

ENES KANDER FRIDOM: If there are free and fair elections, then Erdogan will lose because he is blocking international observers. Why is he doing that; So that he can cheat and steal votes as he wants. He is not going to leave power peacefully if he loses. It will create chaos because people should understand that he is linked to so many corruption scandals that the day he loses the election, he could go to jail the next day.

K.G. You have said in the past that Erdogan hates the Greeks and the Greek government and that is why he is not the right representative for the Turkish people. Would you see yourself as such a representative?

ENES KANDER FRIDOM: Maybe in the future, because I respect other people, other nations, other religions, other cultures. I was in Greece recently and every Greek who saw me on the street said “you should be the next president of Turkey because we love you and you love us”. I just feel bad because, because of Erdogan, many children grow up hating Greeks and Greece. Erdogan always says unacceptable things about the Prime Minister of Greece. So I want to tell the Greeks that the real Turks love you. I have no words to thank the Greeks, I want to say that I am grateful from the bottom of my heart, because there are so many Turks who escape from Turkey and come to Greece because of Erdogan’s policies. And the Greeks from the first day opened their arms and welcomed them warmly. Therefore, Greece is a second home for Turks.