[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 212 (Wednesday, December 8, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H7467-H7468]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING ENES KANTER FREEDOM

  (Mr. FITZPATRICK asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Enes Kanter 
Freedom.
  Since being drafted third overall in the 2011 NBA draft, Mr. Freedom, 
a newly minted American citizen, has made our country incredibly proud.
  Growing up in Turkey, Enes says he did not know what freedom was 
until he moved to the United States. And since then, he has used his 
platform to speak out against human rights atrocities in China, Turkey, 
and beyond. Enes uses his voice for the people around the world who are 
voiceless.
  And because of his outspoken criticism of Turkey's authoritarian 
regime and inhumane treatment of political prisoners, the Turkish 
Government revoked Enes' passport and issued multiple warrants for his 
arrest, leaving

[[Page H7468]]

him stateless for many years. And in China, broadcasts of Enes' 
basketball games were banned after he criticized the Chinese Communist 
Party's repressive regime and their human rights abuses against the 
Uighurs and Tibetans.
  Since facing backlash, Enes has made it his life's mission to push 
the boundaries of what is possible on and off the court. He understands 
and recognizes using his voice and the importance of it.

  After waiting six long years, Mr. Speaker, last week Enes finally 
became a U.S. citizen, and at his citizenship ceremony, he recited the 
oath using his newly minted last name, Freedom. And I cannot think of a 
more appropriate new last name for Enes, as he embodies all that 
freedom means. And by changing his last name, Enes can now carry that 
word with him wherever he goes.
  Mr. Speaker, I salute the brave work of Enes Kanter Freedom. At a 
time when others remain silent, he has spoken up.
  I congratulate Enes on his citizenship, and this United States 
Congress and all of us welcome him to our American family.

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