Father of Turkish-American activist murdered by Israel remembers her fight against ‘injustice’

Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, who was shot dead by an Israeli sniper in the West Bank earlier this month, was “a rebel against injustice,” according to her father Mehmet Suat Eygi.

“Regardless of language, religion, race, gender, political views or whether someone was right or left, she offered help,” Eygi told the Anadolu news agency (AA) in the coastal town of Didim in the Aegean province of Aydın, days after she was buried in her old homeland.

“She didn't let distance stop her from helping. She would have gone anywhere in the world. While the children of her generation were learning the intricacies of makeup, Ayse was fighting for human rights,” he said.

He also acknowledged the support of the Turkish state since Israel killed his daughter.

“Fortunately, our state has provided us with significant support, assistance and attention at every stage. Even after the funeral, we continue to experience the state's support throughout the legal process.”

Turkey condemned the killing and said it would investigate her death. Ankara will also seek international arrest warrants for Eygi's murder, officials said.

In tears, Eygi's father recounted how his daughter told him about her decision to go to the West Bank.

“Ayse told me she was going to Palestine. I had months to dissuade her. We talked every day, I tried my best, but she wouldn't change her mind. I told her if she wanted to go, she should go in February or March.”

“I couldn't convince her, but she went anyway. I asked her to promise me that she would return if there was even the slightest danger. She went to Jordan, Jerusalem and Ramallah.”

“During a conversation in Seattle, I tried to convince her not to go there, saying it was a very dangerous place. I told her she was going to a place where people knew very well how to kill.”

“She replied: I'm going, Dad, people need to hear what's happening there.”

“I warned her that a bullet could come, an accidental shot could kill her. She said, 'If dying has a meaning, I'm ready for it, Dad.'”

Mehmet Suat Eygi said they received a letter addressed to his daughter, the author of which was unknown, and said: “When I read it, I cried uncontrollably because there are girls who want to follow in Ayşenur's footsteps.”

Appeal to the ICC

According to the International Solidarity Movement, Eygi had traveled to the West Bank before her death to support the Palestinian resistance against the Israeli occupation.

On September 3, Eygi attended a protest rally in the town of Beita in Nablus to protest against illegal Israeli settlements there.

The movement reported that Eygi was targeted and killed on September 6 by an Israeli sniper standing on a nearby rooftop.

Eyewitnesses reported that Eygi was far from the protest area when she was shot in the head by the sniper. She was taken to a Palestinian hospital but could not be saved despite the best efforts of doctors.

Turkish diplomatic missions in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem coordinated the transfer of her body from Tel Aviv to Baku, Azerbaijan, before her final journey to Turkey.

Turkish authorities received Eygi's body on Friday and took it to the Izmir Institute of Legal Medicine for an autopsy, which found that a bullet had penetrated the lower ear area.

Thousands of people attended Eygi's funeral on Saturday, including politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties, in a rare act of solidarity with the Palestinian cause for which Eygi died. A portrait of her in her graduation robe leaned against the coffin as people paid their last respects.

Also on Saturday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the young activist's father and promised that they would file a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) over her killing by Israel.

“The Palestinian leadership has been in contact with the US and Turkish authorities to ensure a fair investigation into her assassination, and preparations are underway to file a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the crime of her assassination,” he said. Abbas announced his decision to “award her the Star of Jerusalem medal in recognition of her great sacrifice for the Palestinian people's right to freedom and independence, and invited her parents and family to visit Palestine.”

Dangers of a trip to Palestine

A friend of Eygi's, whom she met at the University of Washington, said she warned Eygi about the dangers of traveling to Palestine.

“I warned her with great respect for her activism and idealism: 'Ayse, you know this is very serious,' and she travelled (to the region) knowing this. Eygi said: 'I know, but if I die, I die,'” Büşra Demirkol told reporters after visiting Eygi's family home in Didim to offer her condolences.

“It was an honor to know her… She wanted to leave and was thinking about which organization to join, but had not made a final decision yet,” Demirkol added.

When Demirkol was in Istanbul, Eygi called her and told her that she had made her decision.

Demirkol said Eygi was very active in the anti-Israel protests at the University of Washington and attended every meeting.

“She was very lively and full of life. She was very sensitive to everything. As her father said, nature, people, cultures and languages ​​were very dear to her. At the age of 18, she was hit three times by plastic bullets during an action to defend the rights of indigenous peoples in the United States,” she said.

Demirkol added that Eygi's last book was about the Algerian resistance.

Eygi, 26, had travelled to the region to support the Palestinian resistance against the Israeli occupation, according to reports from the International Solidarity Movement, a Palestinian-led group that supports the Palestinian cause in the conflict with Israel.

Eygi was born in Antalya, Turkey, in 1998 and moved to the United States with her family when she was a toddler. In June, she graduated from the University of Washington, where she studied psychology and Middle Eastern languages ​​and cultures.

She arrived in the West Bank last Tuesday to volunteer for the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) as part of efforts to support and protect Palestinian farmers.

In coordination with the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv and the Consulate General in Jerusalem, Eygi's body was transferred from Tel Aviv to Baku, Azerbaijan and then to Istanbul and Izmir, where it was ceremoniously received.

After forensic examinations in Izmir, during which several autopsies were performed, Eygi's body was transferred to Didim.

Eygi was a human rights activist and volunteer with ISM, which supports Palestinians using peaceful and civil methods against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.