Turkey to Present Evidence in International Courts Regarding Killing of Turkish-American Woman, Reports Reuters

ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey plans to present evidence regarding the killing of a Turkish-American woman in the West Bank earlier this month to the United Nations Security Council, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to the country’s justice minister on Monday.

Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was killed on September 6 during a protest against settlement expansion in the West Bank amid ongoing conflict in Gaza. Israel has acknowledged that its soldiers shot Eygi but claimed it was an unintended incident during a protest that escalated into violence.

Tensions have heightened as Israeli settlers have been increasingly attacking Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, land that Palestinians seek for a future independent state. The ongoing war in Gaza has further exacerbated regional tensions.

Turkey has launched an investigation into Eygi’s death and intends to seek international arrest warrants. President Tayyip Erdogan has stated that Turkey will pursue the matter in the ICJ.

Eygi’s death has strained relations between Israel and the United States, which has expressed frustration over the rising assaults on Palestinians and demanded a prompt investigation into her killing. The U.S. termed Eygi’s death unacceptable and called on Israel to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

The initial findings from Israel regarding the incident do not absolve its security forces, according to the U.S., which indicated it would consider additional actions if the results of a comprehensive Israeli investigation are unsatisfactory.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced, “We will bring Aysenur’s reports to the agenda of the United Nations Security Council, and submit our sister Aysenur’s reports and evidence to the International Court of Justice, where the genocide case is continuing.” He further stated, “We will also submit Aysenur’s evidence to the ongoing investigation concerning Israeli aggressors at the International Criminal Court,” although he did not provide a specific timeline for these actions.