Funeral for US activist shot dead in West Bank held in Turkey

DIDIM, Turkey — Mourners gather in southwest Turkey for the funeral of a US-Turkish activist, who was shot dead while protesting Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

The killing last week of 26-year-old Aysenur Ezgi Eygi has sparked international condemnation and infuriated Turkey, further escalating tensions over the war in Gaza that began with Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel.

Eygi’s body, wrapped in the Turkish flag and carried by uniformed officers, arrives at its final resting place in the Aegean town of Didim.

A picture of Eygi is placed near the coffin during the funeral at the local mosque.

A large crowd gathers during the prayers including Eygi’s family, members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Islamic-rooted AKP party, and activists advocating the Palestinian cause.

Protesters chant slogans near the mosque showing their support for Palestinians.

Eygi, 26, was shot dead Friday while taking part in a protest against Israeli settlement activity at Beita Junction, near Nablus in the northern West Bank.

On Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces said the activist had in all probability been mistakenly hit by troops aiming at another individual. “The incident occurred during a violent gathering of dozens of Palestinian suspects, who burned tires and threw stones at forces at Beita Junction,” the military said, adding that it “expresses its deepest regret over the death.”

The Washington Post reported that Eygi was shot over half an hour after the peak of the protests and some 20 minutes after the demonstrators had moved down the road, meaning she was approximately 180 meters (200 yards) away from the troops when she was killed and could not have posed a threat.