Body of Turkish-American Activist Killed in West Bank Returned to Turkey, Reports Reuters

ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A solemn ceremony was held at the Istanbul airport on Friday to receive the body of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish-American activist who was shot in the head by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank a week prior.

Officials, including the Istanbul governor, gathered at the airport as Eygi’s coffin, draped in the red-and-white Turkish flag, was escorted by police in formal uniforms. An imam led prayers during the ceremony after her body was transported overnight from Tel Aviv via Baku. The 26-year-old was fatally shot while participating in a protest against settlement expansion in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Following the ceremony, Eygi’s body was flown to Izmir, according to the governor’s office, with the funeral planned for Saturday in Didim, a coastal city in the Turkish Aegean where her family resides.

Israel has acknowledged that its troops shot Eygi, claiming it was unintentional and occurred during a demonstration that turned violent.

The United States has condemned the killing as unacceptable, while Ankara has stated that it will seek international arrest warrants for those it holds accountable, labeling the incident an intentional act. Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc confirmed that the Ankara chief prosecutor’s office is investigating those responsible for what he referred to as Eygi’s "martyrdom and murder."