Turkey Seeks International Arrest Warrants for Citizen Killed in West Bank, Reports Reuters

ISTANBUL – An investigation has been launched by Turkey into the death of a Turkish-American activist who is believed to have been shot by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank. The Turkish Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that it will seek international arrest warrants concerning the incident.

The body of 26-year-old Aysenur Ezgi Eygi is scheduled to arrive in Turkey on Friday. Her father revealed that her funeral is planned for Saturday in Didim, a coastal city in Turkey’s Aegean region.

Israel has acknowledged responsibility for Eygi’s death, stating she was killed last Friday while participating in a protest against the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc mentioned that the Ankara chief prosecutor’s office is looking into “those responsible for the martyrdom and murder of our sister Aysenur Ezgi Eygi.” He indicated that Turkey possesses evidence regarding the circumstances of her death and intends to make requests for international arrests.

The Foreign Ministry claimed that Eygi "was deliberately targeted and killed by Israeli soldiers during a peaceful demonstration in solidarity with Palestinians," asserting that Turkey will strive to ensure that this crime does not go unpunished.

While Israel stated it was highly likely that its forces fired the shot that killed her, it maintained that her death was unintentional. In response to the situation, U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris labeled her killing as unacceptable and emphasized the need for Israel to take measures to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.

Mehmet Suat Eygi, Aysenur’s father, expressed his appreciation for Turkey’s investigation and voiced his expectations for a similar response from the U.S. government.

He remarked on the differing responses from the U.S. regarding injustices against its citizens abroad, noting, "When there is an injustice against one of its own, or a murder of its own citizens, America, like the eagle on its emblem, swoops down. But when it comes to Israel, there is an effort to evade it."

Eygi also shared that his daughter was only 10 months old when she relocated to the United States.