Two people who are involved with a Turkish community center mentioned in an indictment against New York Mayor Eric Adams have said they were shocked to learn that the mayor cut off ties with them on orders from the Turkish government, New York-based local news outlet The City reported.
Adams is charged with bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy and soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals in a 57-page indictment unsealed on September 26. The indictment accuses him of accepting illegal donations and more than $100,000 worth of free plane tickets and luxury hotel stays from wealthy Turkish nationals and at least one government official in a nearly decade-long corruption scheme.
According to the indictment, a Turkish government official told Adams, who had a relationship with the Turkish community center in Brooklyn, in or around 2016, that the community center was affiliated with a Turkish political movement that was hostile to Turkey’s government and that if Adams wanted to continue receiving support from the government, he could no longer be associated with the community center, a demand to which Adams acquiesced.
The Turkish organization is referred as the “Community Center” in the indictment without mention of its name, but it is believed to be the Gülen-linked Turkish Cultural Center Brooklyn, part of a non-profit organization promoting intercultural and inter-religious dialogue.
Two people from the Turkish Cultural Center Brooklyn who spoke on condition of anonymity to The City out of security concerns said they didn’t know why Adams stopped associating with the cultural center until they read the indictment.
Adams attended multiple events in association with and hosted by the center, as far back as 2012, when he was a state senator. As Brooklyn borough president, Adams co-hosted a meat drive for food pantries with the center and attended the center’s annual “friendship dinner” in 2016 but didn’t make the event in 2017, one year after a coup attempt in Turkey.
The Gülen movement is accused by the Turkish government and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of masterminding the failed coup in 2016 and is labeled as a “terrorist organization,” although the movement denies involvement in the coup attempt or any terrorist activity.
“I was surprised to learn he stopped talking to our community members after he got a request or order from the Turkish regime,” said one of the people, referencing Erdoğan. “It was shocking news for us.”
That person said the organization didn’t have much communication with Adams since about 2016 and that an outreach coordinator could not get a response from Adams’ office around that time.
He added, “We thought he was our friend.”
A third person involved with the center said back in 2016 he had tried to warn Adams that those associated with the Turkish regime were trying to influence him. Adams waved him off, he said.
“A lot of elected officials were actually informed by the Turkish government supporters, but only Eric Adams stayed away from us. The others continued their relationship with us,” the person said. “As the Brooklyn borough president, when he wasn’t meeting with us any more, it was a little bit disappointing to us.”
Following the coup attempt the Turkish government launched a massive crackdown on Gülen-linked people and organizations not only in Turkey but also abroad, pressuring other countries’ governments to close down Gülen-affiliated organizations and to close their doors to Gülen followers.
Former NBA player and activist Enes Kanter Freedom also said earlier this week to US media that Adams withdrew his support for him due to orders from the Turkish government since Freedom is a follower of the Gülen movement.
He told cable news network NewsNation’s “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” he felt he got the cold shoulder from Adams after the two of them were invited to Greece to accept an award.
“Me and Eric had a conversation about organizing free basketball camps for kids in New York. And I remember he got so excited. He gave me his phone number and said, ‘As soon as you come back, let me know,’” Freedom said.
But the former player, who spent two seasons with the New York Knicks, said that when he returned from the 2022 trip, Adams ghosted him.