MURRAY HILL — A charity organization dedicated to housing Turkish students in the West got the go-ahead from the city last week to tear down a pair of Murray Hill buildings, according to online records.
The Turken Foundation, a non-profit corporation registered in Delaware that pledges to supply Turkish students with “culturally appropriate” housing, filed permits on Friday to demolish 766 Second Ave., a one-story building at the corner of East 41st Street, and 302 E. 41st St., a four-story building next door, records show.
The demolition would likely displace Pazzo Pizza, a restaurant in the Second Avenue building, and Tsukushi, a late-night sushi spot in the East 41st Street building.
An employee at Pazzo Pizza declined to comment on Tuesday, and representatives of Tsukushi could not immediately be reached for comment.
The Turken Foundation, which frequently tweets in support of conservative Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, bought the corner building on March 3, 2015 for $15.5 million, and dropped another $2 million for 302 E. 41st St. the same day, according to Department of Building records.
It was not immediately clear what the organization plans to do with the site once it has demolished the two buildings. Representatives of the group did not respond to several calls and emails for comment.
According to its website, the Turken Foundation was formed in 2014 by two Turkish groups TURGEV and Ensar, both of which enjoy support from the Turkish government, according to reports.
Erdogan's son, Bilal Erdogan, sits on the board of TURGEV, and Ensar has received extensive support from the ruling Justice and Development Party, according to a news report.
