NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – The Turkevi Center (Turkish House) in Manhattan, central to Mayor Eric Adams' federal indictment, has operated for months without valid inspections and city approval, according to an investigation by the New York City Comptroller's Office into the building's approval process.
Turkish House Letter by rabia.gursoy on Scribd
The investigation, the findings of which were released Wednesday, found that the building housing the Turkish Consulate on the Upper East Side was the only office building of its size and category allowed to open without an approved Fire Protection Plan (FPP).
Despite rejecting the building's deficient fire plan, the FDNY allowed the Department of Buildings to issue a temporary certificate in 2021, just days before a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sept. 20, 2021.
"By rushing to allow the opening of Turkish House in advance of a ribbon-cutting ceremony with President Erdoğan, DOB and FDNY cut serious corners that could have compromised the safety of the occupants and neighbors of the building," Comptroller Brad Lander said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives to visit Turkevi Center (Turkish House) before he attends the 77th General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) in New York, USA on Sept. 17, 2022.Aytac Unal/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
No record was found of the FDNY conducting fire safety inspections before the temporary certificate was issued, according to the investigation. In response, the FDNY told 1010 WINS, "This building has been inspected by our Bureau of Fire Prevention on multiple occasions. It has received violations that were remedied, and a reinspection was conducted prior to any approvals being issued. The location also has adequate fire safety staff for the commercial occupants."
The 35-story building across the street from the United Nations headquarters received 12 temporary certificate extensions, each lasting about 90 days, with the last one expiring on Sept. 26, 2024. Since then, it has been operating without valid inspections, according to the investigation.
The Comptroller's Office launched the investigation following the unsealing of a federal indictment against Adams last year. The indictment referenced concerns about the safety of Turkish House at the time the DOB first granted permission to occupy it.
Federal prosecutors allege that Adams expedited the opening of the building at the request of Turkish officials, who provided him with free or heavily discounted luxury travel in return. The indictment accuses Adams of bribery, wire fraud, and corruption, claiming he accepted illegal campaign donations and lavish travel perks from Turkish nationals in exchange for political favors and influence. Adams, facing a five-count indictment, has pleaded not guilty.
While Turkish House was the only office building of its size and category in the investigation allowed to open without proper approvals, described by the Comptroller's Office as a "troubling breach of process," the office also identified 637 office buildings citywide that have lacked valid inspections for an average of three-and-a-half years.
Of these, 88 buildings have violations labeled as "immediately hazardous," along with thousands of unresolved violations.
"We treat the safety of our fellow New Yorkers as a top priority, and if any member of the public has safety concerns about a building, they are strongly encouraged to file an official 311 complaint so that we can investigate the issue," a DOB spokesperson said in statement to 1010 WINS.
