According to a new report from a Jerusalem think tank, the center is known as the "Khan Abu Khadija." The center's building was renovated by the Turkish government aid organization TIKA, which has been investing heavily in east Jerusalem in recent years in an attempt to increase Turkey's influence there.
The new center hosts Arab tourists in east Jerusalem, including some with links to the Muslim Brotherhood and Turkey. TIKA has been providing money to shuttle tens of thousands of Arab visitors from the Galilee and the Triangle region of Arab towns east of Netanya to Al-Aqsa Mosque. On display at the center are study guides about the "true heritage" of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa, some published by TIKA, alongside PLO and Turkish flags and pictures documenting dawah (community charity that aims to bring people closer to Islam) activity on behalf of Palestinian residents of Jerusalem.
The center also features pictures of Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II, who was accused of committing genocide against the Armenian people and was a staunch opponent of Theodor Herzl's vision of a Jewish state, along with pictures of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The center regularly screens a film that includes clips of an Erdogan speech in which the Turkish leader refers to "occupied Jerusalem." -Full Report
