Turkish experts confirm Aysenur Ezgi Eygi died from gunshot to head

Activist was killed when Israeli troops opened fire at a protest in the occupied West Bank

Turkish postmortem on Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, the US-Turkish activist killed during a protest in the occupied West Bank, has confirmed she died from a gunshot wound to the head. AFP

A Turkish postmortem examination on Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, the US-Turkish activist killed during a protest in the occupied West Bank, has confirmed she died from a gunshot wound to the head.

Medical and forensic experts determined the cause of death to be “fracture of the skull bones due to gunshot wounds, bleeding between the brain membranes and destruction of brain tissue”, a copy of the report seen by The National said.

The findings of the examination, carried out in Izmir on September 13, largely confirm an earlier examination carried out by Palestinian doctors on the day of Ms Eygi's death in the occupied West Bank one week earlier.

Who shot Aysenur Ezgi Eygi?

The Turkish report did not provide details on who shot Ms Eygi, 26, while the Palestinian postmortem report assigned blame for the death, saying she had been shot dead by Israeli army troops.

An initial Israeli inquiry said it was “highly likely” Ms Eygi had been shot “indirectly and unintentionally” by its forces after they opened fire on protesters whom they accused of causing a riot.

The Turkish team said it would run more tests to determine the specific medical cause of her death.

The 11-page Turkish postmortem report, signed by 10 officials including Izmir Chief Public Prosecutor Fahri Mutlu Tosun, details how Ms Eygi’s body was received at a morgue in Izmir under police escort, after being returned by plane. The postmortem examination was witnessed by Yilmaz Eygi, one of Ms Eygi’s uncles, who lives in Turkey.

Like the Palestinian doctors, the Turkish team reported Ms Eygi had appeared to be in good health before her death. They found a 1.5cm-long wound on the rear left of her skull, which doctors said was “evaluated as a gunshot wound”. There were no other signs of trauma on the rest of her body, they added.

US-Turkish activist killed by Israel in West Bank buried in Turkey

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Last week, the body of Ms Eygi was flown to Turkey for burial in her family's hometown of Didim on Saturday. She was shot dead on September 6 while attending a protest in the West Bank village of Beita. She had been volunteering with a pro-Palestinian solidarity organisation observing a protest against Israeli settlement expansion.

Ms Eygi, 26, had lived in Seattle in the US and had recently graduated from the University of Washington. She had gone to volunteer in the occupied West Bank with the International Solidarity Association, a pro-Palestine volunteer group. She had visited her grandfather in Didim in early September, shortly before travelling to Jordan to cross to the West Bank.

Israeli attacks have intensified in the West Bank in recent weeks, as it carried out its biggest military operation in the Palestinian territory in decades. Almost 700 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, according to the UN, and attacks on Palestinian communities by Israeli settlers have grown more widespread. The UN has recorded about 1,350 attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians since October 7, forcing more than 1,600 people from their homes.

Demands for action over fatal shooting

Her funeral was attended by senior Turkish officials including the ministers of interior, justice, foreign affairs, and family and social services departments who, alongside other mourners, spoke of the more than 42,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza.

In interviews with The National, relatives and neighbours described Ms Eygi as passionate about humanitarian and environmental causes. “She went [to the West Bank] because she wanted to stop the war,” said Munaver Arslan, one of Ms Eygi's nieces, as she began to cry. “She had lots of humanity.”

Ms Eygi's family and close friends have demanded firm action over her death from the US government.

Speaking at a regular press briefing on Monday, a US State Department representative said the findings from Israel's initial inquiry into the 26-year-old's death do not exonerate Israeli security forces and the US government would consider further measures if it was not satisfied with the results of a full Israeli inquiry.

"I hear people ... hold the initial findings up as if they somehow exonerated Israeli security forces. They very much do not, at least in our point of view," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. "If the first investigation plays out ... and we are not satisfied, we will of course look at whether any other measures are appropriate."

The incident is likely to further strain relations between Turkey and Israel, which have deteriorated rapidly since the October 7 Hamas attacks, which killed 1,200 people and lead to more than 240 being taken hostage, and the resulting war in Gaza. Turkey has halted all trade with Israel and senior officials from the two nations have traded barbs over social media. It may also lead to tension between Washington and Ankara, as some Turkish officials criticise the US for its initial reaction to Ms Eygi's killing.

Biden criticised for delayed reaction

A senior Turkish official accused Israeli forces of "directly targeting" Ms Eygi and called for those responsible to be brought to trial. "Those who did this, those who gave this order should all be tried for murder," said Omer Celik, spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AK Party.

He accused the US government of failing to condemn the shooting quickly. "The President of the United States first said that he did not have enough information," Mr Celik said in remarks reported by Turkish state media. "Then he said that the Israeli forces did it unintentionally and not directly. When there were reactions, he felt the need to say something stronger."

Last week, Mr Biden said the shooting was "totally unacceptable" and that Israel must "do more to ensure that incidents like this never happen again".