Cloture Motion

Floor Speech

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Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I have come to the Senate floor this afternoon to talk about a young man named Enes Kanter, who plays basketball for my hometown Portland Trail Blazers.

I wish I could be here to run through Saturday's box score or preview tonight's match up against the Clippers, but, unfortunately, Mr. Kanter is facing dangers that are far more serious than the outcome of any basketball game. His family is now facing those dangers as well.

Mr. Kanter is from Turkey. His love of basketball brought him to the United States in 2009, and he was selected third overall in the 2011 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz. Enes is a bright, intelligent, and soft- spoken guy. He pays attention to what goes on back home in Turkey; he cares deeply about his country's future; and he rightfully believes that he ought to be able to express his opinion as he sees it on these important issues. For that, Turkey's President Erdogan has labeled Enes Kanter a terrorist.

President Erdogan and his cronies are too thin-skinned to tolerate Enes Kanter's eloquence and inspirational dissent off the court. Erdogan revoked Mr. Kanter's passport based on accusations that lacked any real proof. President Erdogan has demanded that INTERPOL issue a red notice on Mr. Kanter, which means he has to stay in the United States whenever his team travels outside the country. It has kept Mr. Kanter from going to London and going to Toronto.

As Mr. Kanter himself wrote in a recent Washington Post opinion article, ``I am definitely a target, and Erdogan wants me back in Turkey where he can silence me.''

Following strategies right out of ``The Dictator's Playbook,'' Erdogan has responded like a coward to Mr. Kanter's criticism and has tried to silence him by threatening his family--his family who still lives in Turkey.

Mr. Kanter recently told reporters that his father would be going on trial this week, in just a few days, in Turkey. The details of that trial are shrouded in the fog of secrecy--where authoritarians thrive. Yet Mr. Kanter's powerful words cut cleanly through that fog just a few days ago. When asked what his father was on trial for, Enes said for ``just being my dad.''

Enes is a young man who has already sacrificed so much. As a teenager, he moved thousands of miles away from home to pursue his dream of playing in the NBA. For the crime of just voicing his opinions on the future of Turkey--a nation that is supposedly an American ally-- Enes was labeled a terrorist. Years ago, he cut off contact with his family because he believed Erdogan would punish them for speaking with someone who was critical of Erdogan's government. Now, without being able to contact them, Enes has to live in constant fear of what is going to happen to his loved ones back home.

So, as I stand on the floor of the U.S. Senate, I want to make sure there isn't any confusion on two important topics.

First, Mr. Erdogan, the world is watching how you treat Enes Kanter's father this week and in the weeks ahead. Mr. Erdogan, the world is watching how you treat Mr. Kanter both when he is on American soil and when Enes travels abroad.

Second, the United States cannot and must not stand idly by while Enes and his family are subjected to this autocratic torment.

I have called on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to raise Mr. Kanter's case with his counterparts, and I have asked our Secretary of State to state clearly that our country will actively resist these contrived red notices or extradition requests. The fact is, our State Department should be taking all of the necessary steps to ensure that Mr. Kanter can travel safely with the Trail Blazers or to advocate for the freedom of his people. Enes Kanter is a young man--an American resident--who is exercising the right to free speech that is enshrined in our Constitution. The United States must not stay silent in the face of such a blatant attack on free thought and expression.

In my view, this is not exactly an isolated issue. It is certainly not just a sports story. The situation ought to be examined in a broader context--a government that is taking a supposed NATO ally down an increasingly authoritarian road.

When the Saudis brazenly killed Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in a consulate in Turkey, Erdogan styled himself a fierce defender of journalists, but this is a classic situation of actions speaking louder than words, for Erdogan jails more journalists than do the Saudis. In fact, Erdogan jails more journalists than do the Russians, the Chinese, and more than any other authoritarian regime that is out there.

Erdogan does not only target journalists or independent media outlets, all of whom knowingly, bravely risk such oppressive actions when they just want to report the truth; Erdogan has thrown peaceful demonstrators into jail as well. Just last Friday, he cracked down on people who were assembling peacefully in Istanbul for International Women's Day.

It gets worse--worse because Erdogan is brazen enough to push his assaults on democratic norms right here on American soil. Less than 2 years ago, Erdogan gave the go-ahead for his security detail to brutally attack nonviolent demonstrators right here in the Nation's Capital. That assault, to emphasize the point, took place on American soil--right here, just a short walk from the White House. Americans ought to be outraged over this sort of behavior, especially from a supposed friend and ally like Turkey.

It has not gone unnoticed that Erdogan recently doubled down on his decision to make a major military purchase from Vladimir Putin's Russia, and his use of fraudulent INTERPOL red notices is right out of Vladimir Putin's playbook.

It is past time for the State Department to stand up to this behavior. The State Department needs to call this behavior out. It is not a far-off threat to other people the Federal Government can conveniently ignore. Erdogan's abuses are happening right here in our country, on American soil. People like Enes Kanter are the victims.

As a younger man back in the day, I went to school on a basketball scholarship. I often tell people at my townhall meetings that I wanted to play in the NBA--a ridiculous idea because I was too small, but I made up for it by being quite slow. My abilities on the court were certainly light years removed from Enes Kanter's, but I can tell you, from playing in college, I certainly remember the value of a full-court press. I am firmly committed and will state once more that our State Department must put a full-court press on Turkey to treat Mr. Kanter-- and all of those who speak out against Erdogan's totalitarian regime-- with respect for their human rights and freedom of expression.

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