President Erdogan denounces killing of Turkish-American activist by Israel

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned Israel for ‘heinously’ murdering Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish-American activist who was killed on Friday by Israeli forces during a protest in the occupied West Bank.

Speaking at an event in Istanbul on Saturday, Erdogan said that now Israel aims to commit genocide in both the West Bank and Gaza and to occupy these areas as well.

“Yesterday, they (Israel) heinously murdered our young child, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi. To date, they have killed over 40,000 innocent civilians, including 17,000 children,” Erdogan said. “They attack barbarically and shed blood indiscriminately, whether it be children, women, youth, or the elderly."

Eygi was shot dead by Israeli forces on Friday while participating in a protest against settlement expansion in the town of Beita, near Nablus in the northern West Bank.

An autopsy report of Eygi confirmed she was killed by an Israeli sniper’s bullet to the head, Nablus governor Ghassan Daghlas said on Saturday.

Standing against Israel's state terrorism is an Islamic duty, and also a national issue, the president said.

The Turkish president also expressed his condolences to the mother of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi.

Erdogan made a phone call to Rabia Birden Eygi, the mother of the deceased, offering his heartfelt sympathies for the tragic loss of her daughter.

'Lebanon, Syria will be next'

Erdogan emphasised that the situation in Gaza is not merely a conflict between Israel and Palestine but a struggle between expansionist Zionism and Muslims defending their homeland.

He pointed out that both within Türkiye and in some Islamic countries, there is a misconception that this issue is distant from them, which he believes is a serious mistake.

Erdogan warned that Israel will not stop in Gaza, and if it continues its current actions, it will move on to occupy Ramallah and then set its sights on other regions. "Lebanon and Syria will be next... They will covet our homeland territories between the Tigris and the Euphrates."

He added that Hamas is fighting not just for Gaza but for all Islamic lands, including Türkiye.

"All Islamic countries should adopt a unified stance against the uncertain extent of the Israeli occupation," Erdogan said.

Erdogan also emphasised that Türkiye's new diplomatic initiative with Egypt aims to bring benefits to Gaza and Palestine.