Family of Turkish-American activist killed by Israeli forces frustrated after meeting with Blinken

The family of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish-American activist killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank in September, expressed frustration after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, stating they heard “the same things” without meaningful action.

“Secretary Blinken was attentive, but unfortunately repeated much of what we’ve been hearing for the past 20 years, particularly since the killing of Rachel Corrie, who, like my wife, was also from Washington State. It’s frustrating to hear the same things again,” said her husband, Hamid Ali, after the meeting at the State Department.

Ali reiterated the family’s call for a U.S.-led investigation into Eygi’s death, adding, “We hope things will be different this time, but our expectations remain tempered.”

Eygi’s sister, Ozden Bennett, said the U.S. is still waiting for an Israeli investigation, which the family does not find “credible.”

“He listened to our frustrations, which were many. We urged Secretary Blinken to publicly pressure the Israeli government to at least complete their investigation before the current U.S. administration leaves office,” Bennett said.

‘Not been contacted by anyone from the White House’

Bennett noted that no one from the White House or the Biden administration had reached out to offer condolences before the meeting when asked about any contact.

“A news reporter mentioned there had been contact with our family, but we, as her representatives, have not been contacted by anyone from the White House,” she added.

Ali remarked that he was “taken aback” by the repetition of rhetoric from 20 years ago, citing the killing of Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old American who was killed by an Israeli bulldozer in 2003 while protesting the demolition of Palestinian homes in Rafah, Gaza Strip.

Recalling U.S. calls for Israel to change its rules of engagement, he said: “We’ve seen changes in Israeli military engagement rules, but obviously, it hasn’t worked. If it had, we wouldn’t be here today.”

The meeting comes as the family continues to urge the Biden administration to launch an independent investigation into Eygi’s death, asserting that she was killed in a deliberate attack during a peaceful protest.

The U.S. has called on Israeli authorities to conduct a “swift, thorough, and transparent investigation” into the killing, but accountability remains elusive, with the Israeli investigation still ongoing.

Blinken awaits results of Israel investigation

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said after the meeting that Blinken informed Eygi’s family that Israel recently told the U.S. it is “finalizing” its investigation.

“He assured them that as soon as we learn the results of that investigation, we will report them,” Miller said.

He added that launching an investigation into Eygi’s death falls under the Justice Department’s jurisdiction, not the State Department.

Eygi, 26, was killed by Israeli forces on Sept. 6 during a peaceful protest against illegal Israeli settlements near Nablus in the occupied West Bank.

A preliminary Israeli investigation found that Eygi was “highly likely” hit “indirectly and unintentionally” by Israeli fire targeting a “main instigator of violent activity” during the protest.

However, video evidence and witness accounts have contradicted the Israeli account, with many stating that Eygi was directly hit by an Israeli sniper.

A report by The Washington Post revealed that Eygi was shot more than 30 minutes after the peak of confrontations in Beita, about 20 minutes after protesters had moved over 200 yards away from Israeli forces.

Turkish prosecutors launched an investigation on Sept. 11 into Eygi’s killing. She was laid to rest in the town of Didim in western Türkiye after her body was repatriated.