A Turkish-American activist who was killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank was laid to rest on Saturday in her hometown in Turkey with thousands lining the streets and anti-Israeli feelings in the country rising from a conflict that threatens to spread across the region.
Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old woman from Seattle, was shot dead on September 6 by an Israeli soldier during a demonstration against Israeli West Bank settlements, according to an Israeli protester who witnessed the shooting.
Thousands of people lined the streets in the Turkish coastal town of Didim on the Aegean Sea, as Ms Eygi was buried in a coffin draped in a Turkish flag, which was taken from her family home.
A portrait of her wearing her graduation gown was propped against the coffin as people paid their respects.
Her body was earlier brought from a hospital to her family home and Didim’s Central Mosque.
Turkey has condemned the killing and announced it will conduct its own investigation into her death.
“We are not going to leave our daughter’s blood on the ground and we demand responsibility and accountability for this murder,” Numan Kurtulmus, the speaker of Turkey’s parliament told mourners at the funeral.
On Friday, an autopsy had been carried out at Izmir Forensic Medicine Institute. Kurtulmus said the examination showed Ms Eygi was hit by a round that struck her in the back of the head below her left ear.
The Israeli military said on Tuesday that Ms Eygi was likely shot “indirectly and unintentionally” by Israeli forces.
Her death was condemned by US secretary of state Antony Blinken as the United States, Egypt and Qatar push for a cease-fire in the 11-month-long Israel-Hamas war and the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.
