Celtics' Enes Kanter Speaks Out Against Rep. Ilhan Omar

Enes Kanter. (Getty Images)

BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter spoke out against Congresswoman Ilhan Omar after she did not vote for a bill that would impose sanctions on Turkey.

Kanter, who is Turkish, is a known critic of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

“What an absolute disappointment and shame that the only democrat who did NOT support the Turkish bill aiming to stop the killing of innocent people is [Rep. Omar],” Kanter wrote in a tweet Tuesday night.

Kanter said Omar seems like she is “on Dictator Erdoğan’s payroll working for his interest, but not for the American people and democracy.”

The bill, which comes after Turkey’s assault on Kurdish forces in Syria, passed 403-16. Fifteen of those votes against it were from Republicans, with Rep. Omar being the only Democrat against it.

The House also passed a resolution 405-11 that would recognize the mass killings of Armenians during World War I by Ottoman Turks as a genocide.

Rep. Omar voted present for that resolution. She later responded in a statement to CNN.

"I believe accountability for human rights violations—especially ethnic cleansing and genocide—is paramount. But accountability and recognition of genocide should not be used as cudgel in a political fight," Omar said.

WBZ NewsRadio's Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) reports:

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