The Turkish Consulate building in New York, US, on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. A Turkish official allegedly told New York City mayor Eric Adams in 2021 it was “his turn” to repay him by pressuring New York City Fire Department officials to enable the ope
NEW YORK – In the wake of the indictment of Mayor Eric Adams, questions are swirling over the Turkish Consulate building on First Avenue that plays a key part in the corruption case.
Prosecutors allege that the $300M building was rushed into opening without proper safety precautions.
According to the indictment, Mayor Adams used his influence during the 2021 mayoral campaign to push for the opening of the consulate despite concerns about the building’s safety.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office claims that top FDNY officials were pressured by Adams to expedite the process, allowing the consulate to open on time, even though, as the indictment states, “the building is not safe to occupy.”
“The commissioner, deputy commissioner, fire chiefs will get calls all the time, ‘Hey man, can you expedite this?’” former Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen told FOX 5. “You do try to help people, you try to fix things but you know, you don’t violate the safety rules that you know would be better.”
The Bureau of Fire Prevention, notorious for delays in inspections, was allegedly bypassed during the process. However, the FDNY maintains that the Turkish Consulate building is currently up to code, and routine inspections have been conducted.
The building holds a temporary certificate of occupancy, requiring re-inspections every 90 days. The current certificate is set to expire next month.
