Brooklyn Borough President Travels to Istanbul, Declares 'Sister Borough'

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams is in Istanbul, Turkey, this week to sign a “sister city protocol” with Istanbul’s hip, artsy (if not quite as gentrified) Üsküdar borough.

“Our youths will be able to benefit culturally, educationally and economically from the fraternity we’ve established here,” BP Adams reportedly said at a ceremony on Wednesday. “Brooklyn is America’s Üsküdar.”

Both Adams and his Üsküdar counterpart, Mayor Hilmi Türkmen, compared Istanbul’s Bosphorous Bridge with NYC’s Brooklyn Bridge.

”Two sisters have met through bridges of the soul,” Türkmen said, waxing poetic. There was also reportedly some talk of both boroughs needing to take a stand against terrorism.

Here’s what makes Üsküdar the Brooklyn of Istanbul, according to the Turkish paper Daily Sabah.

Üsküdar, aside from its diverse population, which has enriched its cultural mosaic, is also known for its Ottoman era mosques, synagogues and churches that add to the architectural silhouette, creating a unique blend between culture, religion and history. Üsküdar has been a topic for many poets, as it has a calm and romantic ambiance. This has made Üsküdar a place for hip and urban citizens with an artsy character to make Üsküdar home.

The people and press of Turkey seem a lot more excited about Adams’ visit to Istanbul this week than their counterparts in NYC: We’ve counted at least 10 Turkish news outlets covering the “sister city” agreement, compared to zero here in New York.

One week ago, when Patch asked Adams’ spokesman, Stefen Ringel, about the trip, he brushed us off with a “Stay tuned!” We reached out again on Wednesday and are waiting to hear back.

The BP’s personal Twitter account, normally a bustling place to be, has gone dark since he arrived in Turkey. So either the Turkish government shut off Twitter again and Adams doesn’t know how to use an IP blocker, or the BP isn’t wanting a ton of PR right now. Something to think about.

Anyhow, in the absence of an official itinerary, here’s a rough photo sketch of your leader’s summer trip to Istanbul this week, courtesy of spies on the ground.

Photo courtesy of VikiPicture.