The body of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish-American activist killed by Israeli forces during protests in the West Bank, has been returned to Turkey.
Eygi’s remains arrived in Istanbul from Tel Aviv early Friday, where a brief ceremony was held at the airport. She will be laid to rest in her hometown of Aydın on Saturday.
Eygi, who held dual Turkish and American citizenship, was shot last Friday in what witnesses describe as a calm moment following clashes between protesters and Israeli forces.
According to Daily Sabah, Israeli protester Jonathan Pollak, who witnessed the incident, stated, “She posed no threat to Israeli forces.”
The Turkish government has launched an investigation into her death. Turkish Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç announced on Thursday that arrest warrants are being pursued for those involved in the killing. “We will take every judicial step for our martyred daughter, Ayşenur,” Tunç said.
In a preliminary report, the Israeli military claimed that Eygi was likely shot “indirectly and unintentionally.” However, a forensic report from the Palestinian Ministry of Justice confirmed that Eygi died from a gunshot wound behind her left ear, which caused fatal brain damage.
Eygi’s father, Mehmet Suat Eygi, expressed his gratitude for Türkiye’s efforts and urged the U.S. government to launch its own investigation.
“I hope that the American government does the same,” he said.
Eygi was remembered by her family as a passionate advocate for human rights and environmental issues. “She could have enjoyed a comfortable life, but she pursued her ideals,” her father remarked.
Ali Tikkin, a relative, suggested that her killing was not accidental. “There was no error or accident. I think it was a message to the world,” he said in an interview with the Associated Press.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre commented on the incident, saying, “This awful, awful killing never should have happened.”
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