Turkish consulate in Eric Adams' indictment still open — without a permit

The Turkish consulate at the core of the indictment against Mayor Eric Adams was the only building of its kind allowed to open without a required safety certificate — and the building continues to remain open without the required authorization certifying that the building is safe — according to an investigation released Tuesday by the New York City comptroller's office.

The building, a 36-story skyscraper called Turkevi Center across from the United Nations, was greenlit to open in 2021 only after Adams made a call to FDNY brass, who overrode inspectors who had ruled the fire safety plan unsafe. Days after the required certification was issued, and despite a deficient fire protection plan, the consulate held its ribbon cutting in time for a ceremony attended by the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The indictment against Adams references conversations among fire chiefs in which a chief worried that if he didn't reverse course "both... would lose their jobs."   

The building had violations relating to the glass facade and required elevator testing.

"That puts people at risk, and it jeopardizes the trust in our systems," the comptroller, Brad Lander, told Newsday on Thursday. Lander, a fellow Democrat, is running against Adams this year for the mayoralty. 

Lander's investigation found that even after being allowed to open initially without an approved fire safety plan, the building was granted 12 more temporary certificates of occupancy, or TCOs, until the last one expired — on the day the indictment was unsealed. 

"It was only after the indictment came out that they stopped extending the TCOs, but it still doesn't have a certificate of occupancy," Lander said. "So Turkish House is currently open without either a temporary or a permanent certificate of occupancy, or a fire protection plan. It's an enormous breach of process and breach of trust."

That indictment accuses Adams of trading municipal favors, such as the call to the FDNY, for luxury travel and political contributions from foreign nationals, including those connected to the Turkish government. 

Adams and his attorney, Alex Spiro, say that Adams committed no crime when he made the call — he issued no orders, merely asked the FDNY brass to look into the case, and Adams wasn't mayor, or even mayor-elect, at the time. Adams had won the Democratic primary weeks earlier, and in city in which Democrats outnumber Republicans at least 7 to 1, winning the primary is akin to winning the general election.

The consulate couldn't be reached for comment Thursday.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.