The Turkish government sent Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso eight porcelain tea sets after he was sworn in — a puzzling gift which he returned but sees in a different light after the indictment of his predecessor, Mayor Eric Adams.
Reynoso also said he turned down a trip to Turkey offered by the Turkish government, PIX11 first reported Monday.
“It seems that (Adams’) office in the past gave them an opportunity in the past and they tried to take that with me as well,” he said.
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“Looking back, he says he now can see why,” tweeted PIX11 anchor Dan Mannarino about the Reynoso interview.
The two gifts that Reynoso turned down echo the Turkish perks and goodies that federal prosecutors said Adams happily scooped up during his tenure as Brooklyn’s borough president — and now form the backbone of a historic bribery and corruption indictment against him.
Adams, who served as borough president between 2014 and 2021, reaped more than $100,000 worth of free or heavily discounted travel perks from Turkish officials and nationals, including business class upgrades on international flights, luxury hotel stays, free meals and fancy boat tours, according to the 57-page indictment.
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The feds contend Adams’ willingness to take bribes effectively put him in the pocket of the Turkish government when they needed him to return favors, notably by leaning on the FDNY to open a 36-story skyscraper called the Turkish House despite safety concerns.
Reynoso was elected borough president in the same 2021 election that swept Adams into Gracie Mansion.
He told PIX11 that the Turkish consulate during a meeting early in his borough president tenure invited him out to Turkey.
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“They said they would ‘take care of it,’” he said.
“They had mentioned the mayor’s travel to Turkey before, and they had said we want you to travel as well,” he said. “Looking back, I definitely feel it was an intro to building a good relationship with me through gifts and so forth.”
The offer raised alarms with Reynoso, who noted that clearing international travel for elected New York City officials is a complicated process to avoid conflicts of interest.
He said Turkish officials also tried to gift him and his staff eight “elaborate” porcelain, gold-plated tea sets which his general counsel returned.
Reynoso initially thought that that the Turkish consulate was ignorant to the process of avoiding graft in the city.
“Those are just things the consulate should know they shouldn’t be doing with elected officials here in New York,” he said.
“Now, looking at everything, they knew very well what they can and can’t do,” he said.
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