Turkish-American activist Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi laid to rest in Türkiye

The funeral of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, the 26-year-old Turkish-American activist killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank, was held in Didim, Aydın province, Türkiye on September 14.  The ceremony underscored the diplomatic tensions surrounding her death and renewed calls for international accountability.

Eygi was fatally shot on September 8 during a protest against Israeli settlements near the town of Beyta in the occupied West Bank.

She was participating in her first demonstration with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a non-violent resistance group against Israeli occupation in Palestinian territories. Eygi was shot in the head during the protest.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) initially claimed their forces had responded to “a violent instigator throwing rocks,” but later acknowledged the possibility that Eygi was “unintentionally hit by IDF fire.” The incident occurred near the Evyatar settlement, an unauthorized outpost that has been a frequent source of tension in the region.

Eygi’s death has prompted calls for investigation, with her family demanding an independent inquiry into the circumstances of her killing. Turkish Justice Minister on Sep. 13 announced that Türkiye has initiated an investigation.

High-ranking officials attended

Eygi’s body was btought to Türkiye via Azerbaijan after Ankara’s diplomatic efforts due to the suspension of direct flights between Israel and Türkiye.

At the funeral, Eygi’s body, wrapped in a Turkish flag, was first taken to her father’s home in Altınkum neighborhood with a high turnout.

Some attendees carried Palestinian flags, and chants of “Down with Israel” were heard during the ceremony. A police ceremonial squad carried Eygi’s coffin from the hearse.

The funeral was attended by Eygi’s family members and numerous high-ranking officials, including Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, and other political party representatives and parliamentarians.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made a statement on social media platform X, criticizing the international community’s response to Eygi’s death and the broader Palestinian struggle.

Kurtulmuş-Özel tension

Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş made a short speech at the funeral.

“Ayşenur is now the child of our entire nation. She represents the collective conscience of all humanity. Our nation can rest assured that Ayşenur’s blood will not be left on the ground. Her killers will be held accountable in all international courts,” he said.

“The autopsy report clearly shows that Ayşenur was martyred by a bullet that entered behind her left ear from close range. This is not just the crime of a few Israeli murderous soldiers. It is the crime of a terrorist state that turns a blind eye to this crime, and of some collaborator states that support this terrorist state,” he said.

Following the ceremony, a brief but notable tension arose between Kurtulmuş and CHP leader Özgür Özel. Özel criticized Kurtulmuş’s speech, saying it was inappropriate for the solemn atmosphere of the funeral. He expressed his concerns directly to Kurtulmuş after the ceremony.

“Every word is valuable, but only to those who know how to listen,” Özel said to Kurtulmuş.

“Even on a day like this, you’re still creating division and politicizing the event. Our words could have been valuable in many places. It’s your prerogative, but to claim impartiality while engaging in such matters and involving religious officials in this – it wasn’t appropriate, it didn’t suit the occasion at all.”

When Kurtulmuş retorted, “If you had spoken, would you have said anything different from me?” Özel replied, “That would have been my judgment to make.”