Eygi was shot while protesting the expansion of Israeli settlements in the region. The protest, led by the Aksa Women's Association, took place in front of the Üsküdar Şemsipaşa Mosque and was supported by local and foreign tourists. Demonstrators chanted slogans against the Israeli regime and the U.S., expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Müyesser Yağız, President of the Aksa Women's Association, addressed the crowd, saying, "Ayşenur Ezgi was from Antalya, born in Germany, and raised in America, but she never forgot her humanity or Islamic values. She never said, ‘What does it matter to me?’ and instead went to Palestine to stand against oppression." Yağız compared Eygi to Rachel Corrie, an American peace activist killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in 2003. "Ayşenur was targeted by Israeli snipers for protecting olive trees and opposing the occupation," she said.
Yağız also emphasized the broader human tragedy in Palestine, saying: "Over 100,000 martyrs have died in Palestine in the last 11 months. Every day, hundreds of women are killed or raped in Israeli prisons, and men are tortured. Where is humanity in all this?" she asked.
Yağız condemned ongoing trade relations with Israel, urging Turkish authorities to halt cooperation with the occupation regime. "This war will end, this oppression will end, and we believe that the Palestinian people will be free. But those who continue trade and cooperation will be remembered poorly in history," she said.
Meanwhile, Turkish authorities are working to bring Eygi’s body back to Türkiye, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli. "Land crossings from Palestine to Jordan were closed by Israel, and we are working on the option of flying her body directly to Türkiye," Keçeli said. The Turkish Consulate in Jerusalem is coordinating with local authorities, while the Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles is assisting Eygi's family.
Eygi's death has sparked international outrage and renewed calls for accountability and an end to the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Born in Antalya in 1998, Eygi moved to the U.S. as an infant and recently graduated from the University of Washington, where she studied psychology and Middle Eastern cultures. She was participating in a protest in the West Bank town of Beita when Israeli soldiers opened fire. According to Palestinian news agency Wafa, Eygi was a volunteer with the Fazaa campaign, which supports Palestinian farmers against Israeli settler violence.
Eygi was also associated with the International Solidarity Movement, the same organization as Rachel Corrie, who was killed by Israeli forces while defending Palestinian homes from demolition.
Eygi’s death comes amid escalating tensions in the West Bank as Israel continues its attacks on Gaza, which have claimed over 40,900 Palestinian lives since October 7, 2023. Nearly 700,000 Israeli settlers live in 300 illegal settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in violation of international law. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 691 people have been killed and over 5,700 injured in the West Bank since the Gaza genocide began on October 7, 2023. (ILKHA)
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