Embattled Eric Adams repeatedly boasted he’s visited Turkey more than any other NYC mayor

Mayor Eric Adams has repeatedly boasted about his ties to Turkey — brags that surfaced as it was revealed the feds are probing if any money was illegally funneled to his campaign from the Turkish government.

Hizzoner crowed just last week that no other New York City mayor has visited the country as frequently as he has.

“I’m probably the only mayor in the history of this city that has not only visited Turkey once, but I think I’m on my sixth or seventh visit to Turkey,” Adams gloated to the crowd at a flag-raising ceremony in Lower Manhattan last Friday ahead of Turkey’s 100-year anniversary as a republic.

His 2021 mayoral campaign is now embroiled in an FBI probe into a possible kickback scheme involving a Brooklyn construction company and the Turkish government.

In addition to eyeing the Williamsburg-based KSK Construction Group over its ties to Turkey and potential illegal straw donors to Adams’ campaign, the FBI also is reportedly looking into the Bay Atlantic University — a tiny Turkish-owned institution in Washington DC, that also has ties to Adams.

The mayor’s 2021 campaign accepted five $2,000 donations from apparent Bay Atlantic University employees during a fundraiser in September 2021 – but returned the money 17 days later, The City first reported.

“The campaign had raised more money than it could spend,” a spokesman for Adams’ first mayoral campaign told The Post when asked why the donations were given back.

A search warrant tied to a Thursday raid on Adams’ fundraiser Brianna Suggs’ Brooklyn home indicated that investigators were seeking documents related to the university, which opened in 2014, according to the New York Times.

In 2015, Adams — who was then Brooklyn borough president — visited one of the school’s sister universities in Istanbul. During that visit, Adams was told a scholarship would be created in his name, the outlet reported.

In addition to seeking material related to the DC-based university, investigators were also after records of travel to Turkey by any of Adams’ campaign employees or associates, as well as docs that shed light on any potential interactions with the Turkish government, sources have said.

The warrant also stated that agents were looking for evidence of the theft of federal funds, wire fraud, conspiracy to steal federal funds and wire fraud conspiracy.

Adams, who said he has not been contacted by any law enforcement agency, has not been accused of any wrongdoing over the FBI probe.

But the matter is so serious that he abruptly bailed on long-scheduled — and badly needed — White House immigration meetings in Washington, DC, to fly back to the Big Apple because of the raid.

Adams on Friday tried to downplay the FBI raiding the home of his top campaign fundraiser.

“Where’s there’s smoke, there’s not always fire,” he insisted to Dan Mannarino on PIX11. “I have full confidence in [Suggs]. She has done an amazing job. She will stay with the campaign team.”

But in a separate statement, the mayor appeared less sure. 

“I am outraged and angry if anyone attempted to use the campaign to manipulate our democracy and defraud our campaign,’’ he said. 

“I want to be clear, I have no knowledge, direct or otherwise, of any improper fundraising activity — and certainly not of any foreign money. We will of course work with officials to respond to inquiries, as appropriate — as we always have.”