New York City Mayor Eric Adams is the subject of another FBI investigation as part of a broader corruption inquiry that already has federal authorities looking into his political actions. This time, the Democrat lawmaker’s Turkish flight upgrades have come into question.
Adams and His Turkish Affinities
In November, the FBI searched the homes of Cenk Öcal, former Turkish Airlines executive; Rana Abbasova, the mayor’s Turkish community liaison; and Brianna Suggs, chief fund-raiser for Adams. They also seized Mr. Adams’ electronic devices. The New York Times reported that investigators were looking into possible acceptance of illegal foreign donations from the Turkish government when they raided Suggs’ home and confiscated her files and electronics.
This newest look into the mayor’s activities focuses on flight upgrades authorities believe he received from Turkish Airlines that gave him the highest class of seats on international trips, The Times reported, citing “people with knowledge of the matter.” The number of free upgrades Adams accepted has not been released, nor has the total value of those changes. According to the reporting, though, in 2023, round-trip business class seats on the airline between the US and Turkey cost at least $3,400 each, about four times as much as an economy seat.
Mr. Adams is an avid traveler. In 2017, he said Turkish Airlines “is my way of flying.” The seat upgrades he received happened while he served as Brooklyn borough president as well as mayor of New York City, on both official and personal trips, The Times’ sources informed. However, his involvement with the airlines is more than just being a passenger. “He has attended meetings and events with representatives of the air carrier, which is half-owned by the Turkish government’s sovereign wealth fund,” the outlet explained. “Some of those interactions took place in the presence of Turkish business leaders and diplomats with their own close ties to Turkey’s government and its president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.”
Brendan R. McGuire, a lawyer for Adams and his 2021 campaign, said the mayor did nothing improper:
“As borough president, the mayor consistently disclosed his official travel to Turkey, did not receive any improper upgrades and did nothing inppropriate in exchange for an upgrade. Speculation is not evidence. We look forward to a just and timely conclusion to this investigation.”
The New York Times reviewed emails suggesting that Adams received those upgrades “during a period in which he and the airline were developing a close relationship.” The current FBI investigation is still looking into whether Adams pressured the New York City Fire Department into allowing the opening of a Manhattan high-rise that held the Turkish Consulate General despite safety concerns, according to The Times’ informants. Fire officials had declined to sign off on it, but Adams reportedly stepped in and applied a bit of political pressure to get the deed done. The Times reported:
“Mr. Adams’ intervention paved the way for the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose fondness for massive building projects was well known in Turkey, to preside over the grand opening of the $300 million, 35-story tower on his September 2021 visit to New York for the U.N. General Assembly, despite numerous flaws in its fire safety system, according to the people familiar with the matter and city records. The skyscraper in the center of New York City reflected Turkey’s ‘increased power,’ Mr. Erdogan said at its ribbon-cutting.”
So far, no charges have been filed against Adams or the others being investigated.
