Flags in Türkiye’s Aydin honor Turkish- American activist Eygi killed by Israeli forces

The Turkish flags were displayed at the house of Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi‘s grandfather in Türkiye’s Aydin after Israeli soldiers killed her in the West Bank.

Eygi’s death, resulting from gunfire by Israeli soldiers aimed right at her head, was met with sorrow in Didim, a district in Aydin, where her relatives reside.

After receiving the tragic news, her relatives came to her 96-year-old grandfather Serif Eygi’s house to convey condolences.

Due to concerns about the potential negative impact on his health, Eygi’s family has not yet informed her grandfather of the tragic news. Yilmaz Eygi, Eygi’s uncle, hung Turkish flags on the building where the family home is located to honor Eygi.

Yilmaz explained that his brother and family had moved to the United States 25 years ago when Eygi was just a year old.

She frequently visited her hometown for family gatherings. Her last visit to Didim was 15 days ago, after which she traveled to relatives in Mugla and Antalya before returning to Istanbul.

“She mentioned she would go to Jordan for a U.N. meeting, but didn’t say she would be going to Palestine. Perhaps she kept it from us to avoid opposition,” Eygi’s uncle mentioned.

He described Eygi as highly sensitive to global injustices, noting her past activism.

“She had a unique perspective on humanity. In the past, she traveled to Myanmar to witness the Rohingya crisis and recently went to Italy to help refugees. She volunteered wherever there was a need,” Eygi’s uncle shared.

Plans for burial in Didim

Yilmaz also mentioned that Eygi had once displayed a Palestinian flag at her university graduation in the U.S. and had considered an academic career while actively participating in U.N. meetings.

He spoke with his brother yesterday, and they plan to bury Eygi in Didim.

Israeli soldiers brutally kill activist Eygi

Israeli soldiers fatally shot Eygi during a peaceful protest in the occupied West Bank. Eygi, a U.S. citizen activist, was gravely injured by a gunshot to the head while supporting Palestinians. Despite urgent treatment at a Palestinian hospital, Eygi could not be saved.

Eygi was a dedicated human rights activist and a volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), which supports Palestinians through nonviolent means against the Israeli occupation.

She was part of the same movement as Rachel Corrie, a U.S. citizen killed by an Israeli bulldozer in 2003.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Eygi’s killing and emphasized Türkiye’s commitment to holding Israel accountable for its crimes against humanity.