Türkiye condemns Israeli military for killing of Turkish-American activist in West Bank
Picture of American passport on Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, the Turkish-American who was shot dead by Israeli occupation in West Bank on September 6, 2024. (Photo via Sky News)
Türkiye has issued a strong condemnation following the killing of Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi by Israeli soldiers during a protest in the occupied West Bank. Eygi was fatally shot during a demonstration against Israeli settlements in Beita, a town near Nablus.
In an official statement released Friday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry expressed “deep sorrow” over the death of Eygi, who held both Turkish and U.S. citizenship. “We condemn this murder committed by the Netanyahu government,” the ministry stated, accusing Israel of using intimidation tactics against those who support Palestinians. The statement warned that Israeli authorities and their allies would eventually be held accountable in international courts.
Eygi, 25, was participating in a protest when Israeli forces reportedly opened fire on demonstrators. She was taken to Rafidia Hospital in Nablus, where she succumbed to a gunshot wound to the head, according to Fouad Nafaa, the hospital’s director. Eyewitnesses said Israeli soldiers used live ammunition against protesters who had gathered to voice opposition to the illegal Israeli settlement of Avitar on Mount Sbeih.
The Turkish Consulate General in Jerusalem is coordinating with local officials, and Eygi’s family will determine whether she will be buried in Türkiye or the U.S. Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli confirmed that the ministry would handle the consular process if her family chooses Türkiye for her burial.
Eygi had been living in the United States but was active in Palestinian causes, working with the Fazaa campaign to protect Palestinian farmers from settler violence. The official Palestinian news agency, Wafa, confirmed that Eygi was among those volunteering to support farmers in the face of ongoing tensions with Israeli settlers.
Turkish officials have linked Eygi’s death to broader accusations of Israeli violence. Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus drew comparisons to the 2003 killing of Rachel Corrie, an American activist crushed by an Israeli military bulldozer in Gaza. “Just as they killed Rachel, they have now killed Aysenur. This is the height of cruelty,” Kurtulmus said, denouncing what he called Israeli state terror.
Residents of Beita have staged regular protests against the Avitar settlement, which they view as an illegal encroachment on Palestinian land. These weekly demonstrations, held after Friday prayers, have often been met with a heavy military response.
The incident comes amid growing unrest across the West Bank as Israel continues its military operations in Gaza. The Palestinian Health Ministry reports that since last October, Israeli forces have killed 691 people and injured more than 5,700 in the West Bank. Tensions remain high as the Israeli military intensifies its actions in Gaza, where nearly 40,900 Palestinians have been killed, predominantly women and children.
