Anadolu Agency sends letter of condemnation to Israeli PM over discrimination against staff

Anadolu Agency Director General and Board Chairman Kemal Ozturk has sent a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to express his regret in how two AA journalists were subjected to discrimination at an annual press reception in Jerusalem on Friday. "Our invited reporters were faced with an unfair and unreasonable discrimination by lsraeli security forces," Ozturk said in the letter. AA's Jerusalem representative Taner Aydin and photojournalist Salih Zeki Fazlioglu were invited to an event hosted by the lsraeli Prime Ministry in the honor of international journalists on Friday, and Fazlioglu was asked to remove his trousers while passing through an X-Ray machine, the letter said. Fazlioglu was told he would be frisked since those carrying Turkish passports face extra security searches due to Turkey being among the "high threat" countries for Israel.     After waiting for half an hour after the search, the Israeli press office officials apologized to the journalists. However, the journalists left the event. Although appreciating the lsraeli Prime Ministry Press Office Manager and his team's attempt to prevent this unfortunate treatment, Ozturk strongly condemned "the discriminatory and hostile act of lsraeli security forces in an event that is organized by the Israeli Prime Ministry in the honor of international journalists." "I see this act not only as a violation of Anadolu Agency's principles but as a general attack on freedom of press in Israel," Ozturk said. Ozturk said on Friday that he would also take steps in the name of international institutions.