Story highlights Mehmet Kanter is detained by security forces in Istanbul, his son Enes says

Enes Kanter is a supporter of a controversial exiled cleric

(CNN) The father of Turkish NBA player Enes Kanter has been detained "as a part of the ongoing investigation into FETO," according to Turkey's official news agency, Anadolu.

FETO is the Turkish government's name for the followers of the Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is in self-imposed exile in the United States. It stands for "Fethullah Terrorist Organization." The government accuses Gulen and the Gulenists of being behind the failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on July 15, 2016, that left more than 200 people dead.

According to Anadolu's website, Mehmet Kanter, the father of the Oklahoma City Thunder center, has been detained by security forces in Istanbul's Kadikoy district. He will be taken to the Tekirdag province after he is processed, the site says.

Kanter's father has openly criticized his son and disowned him for being a follower of Gulen.

Enes Kanter alerted his fans on Twitter with the news.

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