The Manhattan Turkish consulate high-rise at the heart of Mayor Eric Adams’ indictment has continued to operate since October without a city-issued certificate of approval, a probe from city Comptroller and 2025 mayoral candidate Brad Lander released Wednesday found.
The 35-story building on East 46th Street and 1st Avenue, known as the “Turkevi Center” or “Turkish House,” has been open and in operation without a city-issued Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO), since its last one expired on Oct. 21, Lander’s investigation alleged. That was roughly a month after Adams was hit with his five-count federal indictment, in which Manhattan federal prosecutors charged him with bribery and wire fraud, among other crimes.
After granting its initial TCO on Sept. 17, 2021, the comptroller’s audit found, the Buildings Department (DOB) renewed the temporary approval a dozen times between then and Sept. 26 of last year “without change.” But on that most recent date, the DOB objected to the building operator’s application for a new TCO “with changes.”
However, the city Department of Buildings told Lander’s office that “[l]apses of time between TCOs do occasionally occur” and that the agency does not have the power to issue vacate orders over buildings lacking a TCO.
“We treat the safety of our fellow New Yorkers as a top priority, and if any member of the public has safety concerns about a building, they are strongly encouraged to file an official 311 complaint so that we can investigate the issue,” said DOB spokesperson Andrew Rudansky.
The comptroller’s probe also found that Turkish House was the only building of its “size and category” currently operating without a TCO, and that the city allowed it to open without a needed a fire safety plan when it first came online in September 2021. Although the Fire Department rejected the building operator’s Fire Protection Plan, a required step for receiving a temporary occupancy certificate from the city DOB, it allowed DOB to grant the building a TCO anyway.
“Turkish House was the only office building of its size and category in our investigation that was allowed to open without an approved Fire Protection Plan, a troubling breach of process,” Lander said in a statement. “The safety of New Yorkers must not be compromised either by special favors or by bureaucratic delay.”
But the FDNY, in a statement, insisted the building has been inspected by its Bureau of Fire Prevention on “multiple occasions.”
“It has received violations that were remedied, and a re-inspection was conducted prior to any approvals being issued,” the agency said. “The location also has adequate fire safety staff for the commercial occupants.”
The federal indictment charges that Adams allegedly pressured the FDNY to allow Turkish House to move forward without fire safety approvals in September 2021 — when he was still Brooklyn borough president and in the middle of his successful mayoral campaign. Federal prosecutors charge Adams made the request at the behest of a Turkish official so that the building could open in time for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Adams, in turn, received luxury travel benefits for free or at a heavy discount through the Turkish official and connected Turkish businessmen, federal prosecutors allege.
“By rushing to allow the opening of Turkish House in advance of a ribbon-cutting ceremony with President Erdoğan, DOB and FDNY cut serious corners that could have compromised the safety of the occupants and neighbors of the building,” Lander said.
Lander’s investigation, which he launched soon after Adams was indicted, comes as he challenges the current mayor for his job in this year’s Democratic primary.
The progressive comptroller has often been at odds with the centrist mayor. He has released a litany of reports criticizing the administration’s performance on myriad issues since the two came into office in 2022.
Adams has pleaded not guilty in his corruption case and is set to go on trial in April.
