By Dildar Baykan

NEW YORK

A Turkish education NGO broke ground in New York's world famous borough Manhattan on Monday to raise a multi-storey building for Turkish and Muslim students.

New York-based Turkish foundation Turken will construct the building to support the students in fields of education and cultural.

The Turken Foundation was established in 2014 in the U.S. by two major Turkish foundations, Ensar Foundation and Turkish Youth and Education Service Foundation (TURGEV).

Turkey's Ambassador to UN Feridun Sinirlioglu, Turkish Consul General in New York Alper Aktas, Turken Foundation Chairman Behram Turan and Brooklyn Mayor Eric Adams attended the ceremony.

Speaking at the ceremony, Sinirlioglu underlined the social and cultural ties in Turkish-American relations.

He said Turken Foundation has supported Turkish and Muslim youth in the U.S. since 2014, when it was established.

"Turken House [name of the building] in Manhattan will be an important milestone," he stated.

Turan, for his part, said that the foundation's vision is to assist Muslim students by providing them with accommodation and a distinguished atmosphere for students and researchers.

He added that the 21-storey building in Manhattan will have a prayer room, recreation area, offices and rooms and it will serve for some 200 students.