By The body of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old Turkish-American activist killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank, was returned to her hometown of Didim, Turkey, on Friday night for burial. The somber homecoming occurred against the backdrop of ongoing Israeli airstrikes in Gaza.
Eygi’s coffin, draped in a Turkish flag, arrived in Didim accompanied by a police honor guard. Six officers in ceremonial uniform carried the casket from a hearse to a local hospital, as reported by Turkey’s official Anadolu Agency. The funeral is scheduled for Saturday in the coastal town in western Turkey.
The young activist from Seattle, who held dual U.S. and Turkish citizenship, was fatally shot on September 6 following a demonstration against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. An Israeli protester who witnessed the incident provided this account.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military stated that Eygi was likely shot “indirectly and unintentionally” by Israeli forces. Turkey has announced its intention to conduct an independent investigation into her death.
As Eygi’s family watched the coffin being unloaded, her mother required medical assistance, according to Anadolu Agency. The activist’s death drew condemnation from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken amid ongoing efforts by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar to broker a ceasefire in Gaza and secure the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas.
The return of Eygi’s body for burial coincides with continued violence in the region. Overnight airstrikes by Israel on central and southern Gaza reportedly killed at least 14 people, including women and children.
As Eygi’s community prepares to bid her farewell, her tragic death underscores the human cost of the ongoing conflict and the risks faced by activists in the region. The funeral is expected to draw attention to calls for peace and justice in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
