Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency moves Middle East HQ to East Jerusalem

ANKARA

Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency has moved its Middle East editorial headquarters to East Jerusalem from the Lebanese capital Beirut.

Anadolu Agency announced on Jan. 4 that would be moving the center of its Middle East news desk to Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem “following recent developments,” in line with its “vision of becoming one of the most influential news agencies in the world.”

It said it will “continue to strengthen its Middle East operations in 2018, which will be directed from the holy city, the region’s most important political and religious center.”

The department publishes stories from offices in Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Yemen.

Jerusalem recently returned to the global news agenda after U.S. President Donald Trump recognized it as the “undivided” capital of Israel. The move prompted members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.