Aysenur Ezgi Eygi's family continues to press Biden administration for justice

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The family of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish American activist killed by Israeli forces during a demonstration on Sept. 6 in the occupied West Bank, visited Washington, D.C. this week to continue to demand justice and accountability.

During their meetings with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, members of Congress and other officials, the family demanded an independent, US-led investigation into her death and expressed frustration with the Biden administration's lack of action.

Mehmet Suat Eygi, Aysenur’s father, expressed frustration with the US government’s handling of his daughter’s killing by Israeli forces.

“Opening an investigation, this is the part about justice,” he told Anadolu. “But we were also expecting those who govern us, the (US) government, to share our pain, to call us on the phone and show their sorrow.”

He contrasted the administration’s muted response to Aysenur’s killing with the strong reaction from President Joe Biden and Secretary Blinken to the killing of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American hostage, in Gaza earlier this year.

“These two different behaviors naturally upset us,” he said. “We expected the government to approach its citizens without discrimination.”

“But the government divided its citizens into those who are on our side and those who are not on our side and ignored us while favoring one side. It ignored Aysenur and it ignored us,” he added.

Eygi, 26, a dual Turkish-US citizen, was killed by Israeli forces during a protest over illegal Israeli settlements near Nablus in the occupied West Bank on Sept. 6.

Although the US called for a “swift, thorough and transparent investigation” three months ago, no accountability has been achieved. Israel’s preliminary findings claimed she was “highly likely” hit “indirectly and unintentionally” during an operation targeting a “main instigator of violent activity.”

But video evidence and witness accounts dispute this, alleging she was deliberately targeted by an Israeli sniper.

Eygi’s family also believes she was killed in a targeted attack and is urging the US to launch an independent investigation into her killing.

Turkish prosecutors have also launched an inquiry, while Aysenur’s body was repatriated and laid to rest in Didim, Türkiye.

Eygi’s father accused the US-Israel “strategic partnership” of becoming complicit in crimes. He said that by ignoring the killing of its own citizens by Israel, the US sends a troubling message to future activists who may visit the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

Eygi is the latest US citizen to be killed in the West Bank since Israel began its war on Gaza following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.

Previous notable victims include 17-year-old Tawfiq Ajaq, who was fatally shot by an Israeli police officer in the West Bank on Jan. 19 and 17-year-old Mohammad Khdour, who was killed on Feb. 10 while driving with a cousin on a hillside in Biddu, a town just outside of Jerusalem.

- ‘We received no new information about the investigation’

The family’s frustration extended to their interactions with US officials.

Aysenur’s sister, Ozden Bennett, described the meetings as lacking transparency and preparation.

“We received no new information about the investigation,” she said. “They didn’t even come prepared with basic details like the unit number or the unit commander’s name.”

Bennett described a lack of transparency in their dealings with the administration.

“We’ve learned more about certain details about the Israeli investigation from our senators than we received from the State Department,” she said. “That’s not how it should be.”

Bennett criticized the administration’s deferrals to the Department of Justice (DOJ), saying it felt dismissive.

“If Secretary Blinken came out and urged some interest in opening an investigation, that would make a difference,” she said. “But deflecting to the DOJ is incredibly frustrating.”

She said they have also reached out to the DOJ for an in-person meeting and to demand a US-led investigation into Eygi's killing but have yet to receive any response.

In contrast, US lawmakers provided reassurance.

“Our meetings with senators and representatives were very positive,” said Eygi’s father. “They promised to keep this issue on the agenda and support us in seeking justice.”

Reflecting on Aysenur’s life, her father expressed profound loss and pride in her legacy.

“Being Aysenur’s father was a blessing. I miss her immensely -- there are no words to describe it,” he said.

He also noted efforts in Türkiye to honor her memory, including naming a school after her in Didim, noting he expects a similar move from the municipality of Antalya.

Bennett ended with a call to action for the administration.

“We are just calling on the Biden administration, Secretary Blinken specifically, to do more, even in terms of putting public pressure. That’s something he can do -- it’s just a question of whether he’s willing.”