Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom, who is known for his close ties to FETÖ leader Fethullah Gülen and has openly expressed his support for the organization in the past, has made another striking move in the United States.
Kanter, who played in the NBA for 11 seasons, announced that he would enter the 2027 WNBA Draft after declaring that he is a woman. He did not back down after his initial statement and also sent his official application documents to the WNBA.
He turns to the WNBA saying, “I feel like a woman”
Kanter’s move comes amid a long-running debate in the United States over transgender athletes’ participation in women’s sports.
The former NBA player said he had reviewed the WNBA’s current eligibility rules and argued that he also met the necessary requirements if a person’s own statement about their identity was sufficient.
Kanter said he considered himself an eligible candidate for the WNBA and announced that he would enter the 2027 Draft. He later formalized the initiative by sending written notification to the WNBA.
“Rules are rules”
Kanter shared the official application document he sent to the WNBA on his social media account, adding the message, “Rules are rules.”
In his letter to the WNBA, Kanter said he wished to voluntarily enter the player pool for the 2027 Draft and argued that he met the necessary requirements regarding age and college eligibility.
Kanter also asked the league administration to confirm receipt of the document and begin the registration process for the 2027 Draft.
However, the fact that Kanter sent the documents does not mean that he has been accepted into the draft by the WNBA. The league has not yet issued an official decision finding Kanter eligible as a player.
He intensifies the debate over women’s sports in the United States
Kanter’s move quickly became a major topic of discussion in the U.S. sports community.
At the center of the debate is the WNBA’s current player eligibility regulation. The league’s current collective bargaining agreement states that only women players may play in the WNBA, while the absence of a detailed definition of the term “woman” in the relevant section has prompted debate.
Kanter argues that he is questioning the consistency of the current system by focusing precisely on this point.
WNBA responds to “bad-faith initiatives”
The WNBA also issued a statement after the debate intensified.
The league administration said it did not accept “bad-faith initiatives” intended to demean or marginalize people.
The WNBA also said there was currently no urgent transgender-athlete eligibility issue affecting the league. The league’s latest discussions did not produce an agreement on a new eligibility standard, and the existing regulation was not changed.
Former NBA player Royce White also enters the debate
Former NBA player Royce White made a similar move after Kanter.
White announced that he would enter the 2027 WNBA Draft, saying that he identified as a woman.
As a result, the moves by the two former NBA players targeting the WNBA further intensified the ongoing debate in the United States over transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
He has made no secret of his support for FETÖ leader Gülen
Enes Kanter has long been a subject of discussion in Türkiye because of his close ties to FETÖ leader Fethullah Gülen and his open support for the Gülen organization.
In previous years, Kanter publicly expressed his allegiance to Gülen and also made headlines with footage of him meeting Gülen in the United States.
Türkiye defines the Gülen organization as the Fetullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) and holds the group responsible for the coup attempt of July 15, 2016.
Kanter did not abandon his support for Gülen after settling in the United States.
Haber7 reported Kanter’s latest WNBA move with the headline, “FETÖ traitor Enes Kanter causes turmoil in the United States! He applies to become a woman!”, highlighting his FETÖ ties.
He played in the NBA for 11 seasons
Born in 1992, Enes Kanter was selected by the Utah Jazz with the third pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
During his NBA career, Kanter played for teams including the Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics.
After an 11-season NBA career, Kanter left the league in 2022 and subsequently drew attention more for his political statements than for basketball.
The WNBA has not yet given Kanter the green light
The most important detail regarding Kanter’s application is that the WNBA has not yet granted any approval to the former NBA player.
Kanter sent his official documents to state that he wanted to enter the 2027 Draft, but this action alone does not mean that he has been accepted into the draft.
Therefore, the confirmed development at this point is that Enes Kanter, known for his support for FETÖ leader Gülen, has challenged the WNBA’s current rules by identifying as a woman and submitted official documents for the 2027 WNBA Draft.
The outcome of the debate that began after Kanter’s move will depend on the decision the WNBA administration makes regarding player eligibility.
