Turkey holds funeral for Turkish-American activist killed in West Bank

US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris said on Wednesday the killing of Eygi was unacceptable and Israel must do more to make sure such an event never happens again.

 People carry the Turkish flag-draped coffin of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish-American activist killed in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, during her funeral ceremony in Didim, in the western Aydin province, Turkey, September 14, 2024.  (photo credit: REUTERS/DILARA SENKAYA)
People carry the Turkish flag-draped coffin of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish-American activist killed in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, during her funeral ceremony in Didim, in the western Aydin province, Turkey, September 14, 2024.
(photo credit: REUTERS/DILARA SENKAYA)

Hundreds of people waving Turkish and Palestinian flags gathered for the funeral on Saturday for Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish-American activist killed in the West Bank.

Turkey's Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus, and main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel were among the mourners at the ceremony in the Turkish Aegean coastal city of Didim.

A guard of honor carried the 26-year-old's coffin, which was draped with a Turkish flag.

"The blood of Ayşenur Eygi is as sacred as that of every Palestinian martyred, and we will follow it until the end. As the Turkish nation, we are fully committed. As a state, we are fully committed," Kurtulmus told reporters.

Eygi was killed on Sept. 6 as she took part in a protest against settlement expansion in the West Bank.

 People holding Palestinian flags stand outside a mosque during the funeral ceremony of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish-American activist killed in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, in Didim, in the western Aydin province, Turkey, September 14, 2024.  (credit: REUTERS/DILARA SENKAYA)
People holding Palestinian flags stand outside a mosque during the funeral ceremony of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish-American activist killed in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, in Didim, in the western Aydin province, Turkey, September 14, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/DILARA SENKAYA)

Israel has acknowledged that its troops shot the activist but says it was an unintentional act during a demonstration that turned violent.

'She was directly targeted'

"She was directly targeted and shot behind her left ear. May God have mercy on her, and may her soul rest in paradise," Kurtulmus said.

Ankara said it will request international arrest warrants for those to blame for what it calls an intentional killing.

US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris said on Wednesday the killing of Eygi was unacceptable and Israel must do more to make sure such an event never happens again.

Kurtulmus said Turkey would "ensure this case is pursued until the end."


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"We will hold them accountable in all international courts. Yesterday, we completed all autopsies in accordance with international standards," he said.

Prayers were held for Eygi in various Turkish cities, including Istanbul and Ankara.