Relatives of Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi have said they asked US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to pressure Israel to quickly wrap up its probe into her killing, AFP reports.

Eygi was shot on September 6 while taking part in a demonstration against Israeli settlements in the northern part of the occupied West Bank. Her killing sparked international outrage, particularly from Ankara, further inflaming tensions over Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

Separate Palestinian and Turkish autopsies said the 26-year-old activist had been shot in the head. The Israeli army acknowledged opening fire in the area and said it was investigating the shooting.

 Turkish-American woman Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a graduate of the University of Washington, poses at the University of Washington’s 2024 commencement ceremony, in Seattle, Washington, on June 8, 2024. — International Solidarity Movement via Reuters
Turkish-American woman Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a graduate of the University of Washington, poses at the University of Washington’s 2024 commencement ceremony, in Seattle, Washington, on June 8, 2024. — International Solidarity Movement via Reuters

After her killing, Blinken said that Israel needed to make “fundamental changes” to its West Bank operations, while her family has repeatedly sought for a US probe to be launched.

Eygi’s husband Hamid Ali and her sister, Ozden Bennett, met with Blinken on Monday in Washington. “The meeting went as expected, we heard the same statements… regarding waiting for an Israeli investigation which we don’t find credible,” Bennett said afterwards.

Ali said “it’s frustrating to hear the same things again”. Bennett said they had asked Blinken to “push publicly and put pressure on the Israeli government to at the very least finish their investigation” before the next US administration takes over in January.

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