Overview
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan posted images showing Shaquille O’Neal at the Turkcell Basketball Development Center in Istanbul, where they posed and exchanged signed basketballs.
- Coverage described a brief on-court shoot-around in the photos, though no details of any conversation were disclosed by the Turkish presidency.
- Some reports noted the reported presence of intelligence chief İbrahim Kalın during the meeting, with no official readout confirming what was discussed.
- Enes Kanter Freedom criticized O’Neal on X, calling Erdoğan a dictator and accusing the NBA legend of prioritizing money or access over principles.
- Kanter’s condemnation is informed by his past reprisals from Ankara, including a revoked passport, a reported bounty, alleged kidnapping attempts, and his father’s imprisonment, while O’Neal has not publicly responded and has recently visited Turkey for DJ ‘Diesel’ performances.