How Turkish Airlines played a key role in New York Mayor Eric Adams’ indictment

According to the indictment, a senior official for Turkey arranged for Adams and his companions to receive free or discounted travel on Turkish Airlines, which is owned in part by the national government, worth tens of thousands of dollars “to destinations including France, China, Sri Lanka, India, Hungary, and Turkey itself.” Turkish Airlines is not explicitly named in the indictment, which refers to “Turkey’s national airline” or “the Turkish Airline.”

Adams denied taking money from foreign donors in a televised news conference Thursday. Turkish Airlines did not immediately respond Thursday to a request for comment on its role in the case.

One section of the indictment describes an August 2017 trip in which the mayor’s domestic partner was “surprised to learn” Adams was in Turkey when he was flying from New York to France.

“Transferring here. You know first stop is always Istanbul,” Adams wrote in a text message, according to the investigation. He also allegedly asked his partner whether she could book a Turkish Airlines flight to Easter Island, Chile, where the carrier did not fly.

Turkish Airlines, founded more than 90 years ago, today serves nearly 350 destinations in 130 countries. Its hub, Istanbul Airport, ranked as the busiest airport in Europe last year, according to a report by the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation.

One reason for the title: Turkish Airlines often connects through Istanbul en route to points East and West.

The layover — which may be a perk or an inconvenience, depending on your vacation plans — is a trade-off for the less expensive fares. Travelers have two choices for planning an Istanbul stopover. They can book the standard way — from, say, JFK to Paris, with a layover in Istanbul — and choose a connection long enough to squeeze in some sightseeing, dinner and maybe an overnight stay. The airline’s booking tool also includes a longer “stopover in Istanbul” option, through which travelers can choose a stay of up to six days.

Gary Leff, who runs the travel blog View from the Wing, noted that Turkish Airlines will sell excess seats for cheap to bring more people to and through the country.

“Their interest is broader than just the air travel component,” Leff said. “They want to bring tourism dollars to Turkey. They want to expose people to Turkey, give people a positive view of Turkey.”

Turkish Airlines does not fly to Easter Island, but starting in December, it will get closer. The airline is adding four flights a week from Istanbul to Santiago, Chile, with a stop in São Paulo. Easter Island is located west of Chile, and flights are available from Santiago to the Chilean territory.

Adams received luxurious free or heavily discounted treatment upon landing in Turkey, prosecutors say.

On one trip in 2017, the indictment alleges, Adams stayed with a relative and a liaison at the St. Regis Istanbul, owned by a businesswoman seeking “to ingratiate herself” with him. Adams stayed in its Bentley Suite, a collaboration with the luxury car brand Bentley Motors, which the hotel’s website prominently touts as “one of a kind.” Such a stay normally would have cost around $7,000, prosecutors say; the now-mayor paid less than $600.

The St. Regis brand is owned by Marriott International, whose press offices did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

In a 2019 return trip to Istanbul, prosecutors wrote, Adams “solicited and accepted” free dinners, a free boat tour in the Sea of Marmara, a visit to a seaside Turkish bath and free hotel stays, including two nights at the St. Regis — this time in its Cosmopolitan Suite — that would have cost $3,000.

The alleged travel benefits weren’t just for Adams himself. In June 2021, five days after he won New York’s Democratic primary, the indictment says he started a message thread between a fundraiser of his who was traveling to Istanbul and a Turkish official. Adams suggested that he would pay for the fundraiser’s expenses, according to the indictment, but the Turkish official replied that “Turkish Hospitality Services” had taken care of it. The official then went on to provide a fake bill for the fundraiser’s hotel stay “to create the appearance” that she had paid for her hotel stay, “when in fact, as ADAMS knew, she had not,” prosecutors wrote.

On the fundraiser’s return flight, even though she had an economy ticket, a Turkish Airlines manager then granted the fundraiser access to its business lounge and an “exclusive private suite” inside with a bed and free food, the indictment says.

“This is our suite for our VIPs [a]nd we want you to feel yourself Vip :),” the airline manager wrote.

“Thanks a million,” said Adams.