Antonio Reynoso says Turkish officials tried to bribe him after he was sworn in as an elected official

The Turkish government sent Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso eight porcelain tea sets after he was sworn in – a mysterious gift that he returned but that is viewed in a different light following 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 on Monday.

“It appears that (Adams') office gave them an opportunity in the past and they tried to use it for me as well,” he said.

“Looking back, he says he can now understand why,” PIX11 anchor Dan Mannarino tweeted about the Reynoso interview.

The two gifts that Reynoso rejected reflect the Turkish perks and treats that federal prosecutors say Adams enjoyed during his tenure as Brooklyn borough president — and now form the backbone of a historic bribery and corruption indictment against him.

Adams, who served as district president between 2014 and 2021, received more than $100,000 in free or deeply discounted travel perks from Turkish officials and nationals, including business class upgrades on international flights, stays at luxury hotels, free meals and fancy boat tours to the 57-page indictment.

Federal authorities allege that Adams' willingness to accept bribes effectively put him in the pocket of the Turkish government when it needed him in return, particularly by relying on the FDNY to build a 36-story skyscraper called “Turkish House” to open.

Reynoso was elected borough president in the same 2021 election in which Adams moved into Gracie Mansion.

He told PIX11 that the Turkish consulate invited him to a meeting in Turkey at the beginning of his term as district president.

“They said they would take care of it,” he said.

“You had already mentioned the mayor’s trip to Turkey and said we would like you to travel too,” he said. “Looking back, I definitely feel like it was an introduction to building a good relationship with myself through gifts, etc.”

The offer raised alarm among Reynoso, who noted that approving international travel for New York City elected officials is a complicated process to avoid conflicts of interest.

He said Turkish officials also tried to give him and his associates eight “lavish” gold-plated porcelain tea sets that his attorney general returned.

Reynoso initially believed that the Turkish consulate had no idea about the anti-bribery process in the city.

“These are just things that the consulate should know not to do to elected officials here in New York,” he said.

“If you look at everything, they knew very well what they could and couldn't do,” he said.