Turkey seeks to jail NBA star for 'insulting' president Erdogan

Turkish prosecutors have demanded more than four years in jail for NBA player Enes Kanter on charges that he insulted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the state-run news agency said.

The 25-year-old, who lives in the United States, is accused of insulting Erdogan on social media and will be tried in absentia, Anadolu Agency reported.

The New York Knicks center voiced support for Fethullah Gulen who is accused by Ankara of orchestrating a failed coup attempt last year and compared Erdogan to Adolf Hitler on Twitter.

At least 250 people were killed and over 2,000 people were injured in the coup attempt on July 15, 2016.

The indictment on Wednesday said Kanter, who is of Turkish origin, used Twitter to "defame and deride" 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Earlier this year, Kanter's passport was revoked by Turkish authorities, and an arrest warrant was issued after he was named a "fugitive" by a Turkish court.

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

(ESPN)