Turkish-American Activist Honored in Istanbul, Memorial Held in Didim

A Turkish-American activist, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, was honored in a solemn ceremony in Istanbul after being shot in the head by Israeli troops in the West Bank. Her body was sent to Izmir for a funeral in Didim. Israel admits to the shooting; Ankara seeks justice.

The body of Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi arrived at Istanbul's airport with a solemn ceremony on Friday, a week after she was fatally shot in the head by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank. The Istanbul governor and officials, along with police in formal uniforms, stood in honor in front of her coffin, draped in the red-and-white Turkish flag.

Prayers, led by an imam, were recited during the ceremony at Istanbul Airport after her body was flown overnight from Tel Aviv via Baku. Eygi, 26, had been protesting against settlement expansions in the Israeli-occupied West Bank when she was killed. Post-ceremony, her body was transported to Izmir by plane, as confirmed by the governor's office, with her funeral scheduled for Saturday in the coastal city of Didim, where her family resides.

Israel has acknowledged that its troops shot Eygi, educated in Washington State, but contends it was unintentional during a violent demonstration. The U.S. has condemned the killing as unacceptable, while Ankara is seeking international arrest warrants for those deemed responsible, terming it an intentional killing.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc stated that the Ankara chief prosecutor's office is investigating those accountable for what he described as the 'martyrdom and murder' of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi.

(With inputs from agencies.)