Even though New York City’s Department of Buildings (DOB) had banned the occupation of a building on First Avenue, the Consulate General of Turkey has been open since September and has been operating smoothly ever since, thanks to Mayor Eric Adams’s go-ahead. This is revealed in a 34-page investigation that looked into certifications granted by the DOB and released by the Comptroller’s office.
This lengthens the series of charges against Adams, who allegedly favored Turkish authorities in exchange for funding for the upcoming election campaign. Adams has pleaded not guilty and the first court hearing is set for April.
According to Comptroller Brad Lander’s investigation, the affair dates back to 2021, when Adams was still a mayoral candidate and Brooklyn borough president. He allegedly convinced former Fire Department chief Daniel Nigro to allow officials from the Turkish Consulate General to enter the building, even though there was no fire escape plan and there were deficiencies in elevator testing and the glass facade in the records. The occupation was never approved by the Department of Buildings, but Turkish authorities moved in last September.
Friday, Jan. 10, was also the first hearing for Erden Arkan, owner of the KSK construction company and a prominent figure in the Turkish community, who pleaded guilty to covering up 10 donations of $1,250 each to the Adams campaign by ten of his employees under “the direction and guidance of a Turkish government official at the Consulate.” Arkan faces a sentence of six months in prison and up to $9,000 in fines. He will be sentenced on Aug. 15, following Adams’s trial on corruption charges.
The Comptroller’s investigation found more than 5,200 active violations of varying severity on at least 637 buildings. Some have been granted temporary certificates of occupancy for up to 12 years; others, at least 88, have “immediate danger violations,” similar to those reported in the Turkish Consulate building, and have been reported as uninhabitable.
