As it turns out, the FBI raided the homes of another New York City Mayor Eric Adams aide and a Turkish Airlines executive on the same day they raided his top fundraiser as part of a corruption investigation.
Federal agents executed arrest warrants on Nov. 2 at the New Jersey homes of Rana Abbasova, director of protocol in the mayor’s office of international affairs, and Cenk Öcal, a former Turkish Airlines executive who served on the Democratic transition team.
Abbasova, 41, was Adam’s longtime liaison to the Turkish community when he served as Brooklyn borough president, The New York Times reported. Öcal, for his part, was general manager of the Turkish airline’s New York office until early 2022.
The mayor’s office had described Abbasova as an aide who “acted inappropriately” after the FBI seized Adams’ electronic devices as part of the agency’s investigation into an alleged campaign kickback scheme.
Boyd Johnson, the Adams campaign’s attorney, said the staffer, now known to be named Abbasova, has been reported to investigators. He did not name the person or provide any information about the alleged misconduct.
Federal agents executed arrest warrants on November 2 at the home of Rana Abbasova, director of protocol in the Mayor’s Office of International Affairs in New Jersey
Cenk Öcal was General Manager of the New York office of Turkish Airline until early 2022
The mayor’s office had described Abbasova as an aide who “acted inappropriately.”
The attorney said at the time: “After learning of the federal investigation, it was determined that an individual had recently acted inappropriately…In the spirit of transparency and cooperation, this behavior was immediately and proactively reported to investigators.”
Abbasova’s alleged “inappropriate” behavior is believed to be related to an FBI investigation into whether Adams’ campaign colluded with a Brooklyn construction company and the Turkish government to funnel foreign funds into the campaign’s coffers.
Sources claimed Wednesday that Abbasova lied to federal investigators, the New York Post reported.
Investigators probing possible campaign finance violations by the New York mayor have focused on a series of text messages discussing a new Turkish consulate in the city.
Reyhan Ozgur, the Turkish consul in New York City, asked Adams for help in obtaining the necessary authorizations for his new consulate to the United Nations
New York City Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro was contacted by Eric Adams and asked for help
The New York Post reported that agents were particularly interested in a conversation Adams had in September 2021 – before he became mayor – about working at the Turkish consulate in Manhattan.
Reyhan Ozgur, the Turkish consul, told Adams in a text that the new consulate had received the necessary permits from the building department to open, but did not have the certification from the fire department.
A “provisional certificate of occupancy” from the fire department still needs to be obtained, Ozgur said, and asked Adams if he knew Daniel Nigro, the fire chief, and could help.
Adams contacted Nigro and asked him to investigate the matter – but ordered him to do nothing. Nigro then texted Adams and told him the permit was being prepared and would be available within a few days.
Abbasova’s biography on the City Hall website describes her role in promoting “closer relations between the city of New York and the broader diplomatic community.”
She also “manages engagements with foreign dignitaries.”
However, a source claims that she took on a new role in the mayor’s event planning unit earlier this year, working as a “body person” who traveled with the mayor.
They said, “Rana was a quiet, humble person.”
Agents searched the home of Brianna Suggs, a campaign consultant who helped Adams raise $2.5 million for his 2025 election
Agents in FBI vests were among those removing boxes from the home
This comes after the FBI seized the mayor’s electronic devices last week following a raid on the home of his top fundraiser and longtime confidante Brianna Suggs, 25, as part of an investigation into a suspected bribery scheme.
FBI agents seized New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ cellphones and an iPad after stopping him in the middle of the street.
After it was revealed that his devices had been confiscated, Adams told CNN, “He has nothing to hide.”
He said: “As a former member of law enforcement, I expect all of my employees to abide by the law and cooperate fully with any investigation – and that is exactly what I will continue to do.”
The New York Times reported that FBI agents approached the Democrat on the street Monday evening and asked him to stand down. The agents then got into Adams’ SUV and took his devices – at least two cell phones and an iPad.
The devices were returned to Adams within a few days. The FBI can make copies of data from seized devices if a search warrant is available.
Adams said he would be “shocked and hurt” if officials found his campaign had done anything illegal.
After the FBI seized his phones and iPad last week, the first-term Democrat reiterated Tuesday that he was cooperating with a so-called “review” and said he would not speculate on its outcome.
He and his top lawyer at City Hall stressed that he did not want to impede the investigation and declined to say whether the electronics had been turned over to other administration or campaign figures, whether the FBI had requested an interview with the mayor or who or what another Adams was The lawyer said when he said last week that “a person has recently acted improperly.”
The federal investigation became public on Nov. 2 when agents raided the home of Briana Suggs, Adams’ top fundraiser during his 2021 mayoral campaign. The development prompted Adams to dodge a scheduled meeting at the White House and fly home from Washington. He later explained that he wanted to be among his staff because “a leader needs to be here in these difficult times.”
Four days later, after searching Suggs’ home, FBI agents stopped Adams as he was leaving a public event, asked police security guards to stand down, and took his electronic devices.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan, which is overseeing the investigation, declined to comment. A spokesman for Suggs also declined to comment. Neither she nor Adams was accused of wrongdoing.