Family demands independent investigation after Turkish American activist killed by Israel

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The family of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish American activist who was killed Friday by Israeli forces during a protest in the occupied West Bank, urged the Biden administration for an independent investigation into her killing.

"A U.S. citizen, Aysenur was peacefully standing for justice when she was killed by a bullet that video shows came from an Israeli military shooter. We welcome the White House's statement of condolences, but given the circumstances of Aysenur's killing, an Israeli investigation is not adequate," the family said in a statement.

"We call on President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Secretary of State Blinken to order an independent investigation into the unlawful killing of a U.S. citizen and to ensure full accountability for the guilty parties," they added.

Eygi, 26, was shot and killed by Israeli forces during a protest against illegal Israeli settlements in the town of Beita in the Nablus district of the occupied West Bank.

Witnesses reported that Israeli soldiers opened live fire on a group participating in a demonstration condemning the illegal settlements on Mount Sbeih in Beita, south of Nablus.

They said Eygi was standing away from the main protest area when she was fatally shot. Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, medical workers were unable to save her.

The US State Department confirmed the killing of the volunteer peace activist with the anti-occupation group, the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), and said it was gathering more information about the circumstances of her death.

The White House said it was seeking additional information from Israel and had requested an investigation.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry described Eygi’s death as a "murder" committed by the government of Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Israeli military acknowledged the firing, claiming it responded to a "violent activity who hurled rocks at the forces and posed a threat to them (Israeli security forces)." Israel's claim had been disputed by witnesses and the ISM.

Eygi's family said they were in "shock and grief," describing her as "strong, beautiful, and nourishing" like the "olive tree she lay beneath where she took her last breaths."

"Her presence in our lives was taken needlessly, unlawfully, and violently by the Israeli military,” said the statement. “She felt a deep responsibility to serve others and lived a life of caring for those in need with action. She was a fiercely passionate human rights activist her whole life-a steadfast and staunch advocate of justice.”

Eygi, born in Antalya, Türkiye, in 1998, graduated in June from the University of Washington, where she studied psychology and Middle Eastern languages and cultures.

She arrived in the West Bank on Tuesday to volunteer with the ISM as part of an effort to support and safeguard Palestinian farmers.

"She was active on campus in student-led protests, advocating for human dignity, and calling for an end to the violence against the people of Palestine. Aysenur felt compelled to travel to the West Bank to stand in solidarity with Palestinian civilians who continue to endure ongoing repression and violence," according to her family.

The family asked the public for privacy as they "grieve and try to make sense of the unimaginable tragedy that is Aysenur's killing".