Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams brought a bit of the Big Apple to Syrian refugees in Turkey on Thursday, giving children there cards from two different classes of Brooklyn elementary students.
Adams visited the Nizip refugee camp, near the Syrian border, where he handed over cards from fourth-grade students from PS 133 in Park Slope.
“They read those cards and letters, and we shared with them the children of Brooklyn care about them. They were holding onto those cards like they were gold,” said Adams, who arrived in Turkey on Tuesday for a six-day trip. “This is a parent task, not a politician task. Parents know children just want to aspire to grow up.”
The kids wished the displaced Syrian children a happy holidays, telling them to “hang in there,” “we’re thinking about you,” and “we love you.” Adams said he believes embracing children is the best way to fight extremism.
“These children are impressionable and they’re like a sponge,” he said. “They can either absorb the hate or absorb the American way of life. It’s no different than walking into the public schools in Brooklyn — these children are children.”
Adams met with more than 100 children, but said it was only a snapshot of the thousands in the camp.
While in Turkey, Adams met with leaders in Istanbul and spoke at the World Tourism Forum Mediterranean Meeting in Antalya.
