Killed activist Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi’s father speaks out: ‘She was ready to die for Palestine’

Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish-American human rights activist, was fatally shot by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank on Sep 6 while supporting peaceful protests against Israeli occupation. 

Ayşenur was shot by a sniper in direct fire, as confirmed by both fellow activists who witnessed her murder and autopsy findings. Her death has sparked outrage and grief both in Turkey and abroad.

Ayşenur’s funeral was held on Sep 14 in her hometown of Didim, Aydın, where she was laid to rest with honors traditionally reserved for state-designated “martyrs.” Her coffin, draped in the Turkish flag, was carried by police officers.

State officials including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, and main opposition party CHP leader Özgür Özel were present at the funeral, along with hundreds of people.

Eygi’s father, Mehmet Suat Eygi, spoke to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), sharing his pride in his daughter’s life of service and commitment to justice. 

“My daughter helped people regardless of religion, race, or nationality,” he said. “Her final journey united people beyond political divides, just as she lived her life.”

Ayşenur had recently graduated from the University of Washington with degrees in psychology and Middle Eastern languages. According to her father, she had long been dedicated to human rights, often helping those in need without any boundaries. He recalled how Ayşenur’s peers were busy with trivial matters, while she was already passionate about human rights. "She wasn’t rebellious for rebellion’s sake—she stood up against injustice."

‘If my death serves a purpose…’

Eygi described how he had tried to dissuade his daughter from going to the West Bank, fearing for her safety. “I told her not to go to such a dangerous place, where people know how to kill so easily. But she said, ‘I have to go, people need to hear what’s happening there.’ When I warned her about stray bullets, she said, ‘If my death serves a purpose, I’m ready.’” 

He emphasized how his daughter’s devotion to the Palestinian cause had grown in recent months. He shared how, after her passing, he received a letter from an unknown sender, expressing a desire to follow in Ayşenur’s footsteps. “When I read it, I couldn’t stop sobbing,” he said. “There are girls who want to continue her work."

Eygi concluded that he was glad that he was able to saw her daughter's body one last time in the morgue in Didim. “I’m glad I saw her. People call her an angel, and it’s true. She had such a peaceful, beautiful face, even in death. It gave me comfort.”

Ayşenur moved to the United States at just nine months old but maintained her ties to Turkey. She spent part of her childhood in Aydın, where her father wanted her to improve her Turkish.

WOMEN'S AGENDA

'A heartbreaking loss for all of us': Friend reflects on killing of Turkish-American activist in Palestine

10 September 2024

What happened?

Israeli occupation forces opened fire on participants in a peaceful demonstration on Sep 6 in the occupied West Bank. Eygi, who was participating in the protest as part of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), was shot in the head. She was rushed to a Palestinian hospital but died of her injuries.

Eygi was part of ISM, a movement that promotes nonviolent methods to support Palestinian rights. The group gained international attention in 2003 when another American activist, Rachel Corrie, was killed by an Israeli bulldozer while trying to prevent the demolition of Palestinian homes. (VK)