Türkiye to submit evidence over Eygi's killing to international courts

Türkiye will submit evidence of Israel's killing of a Turkish-American peace activist in the occupied West Bank to the UN Security Council, ICJ, and ICC.

"We will both bring Aysenur's reports to the United Nations Security Council's agenda, and submit our sister Aysenur's reports and evidence to the International Court of Justice, where the genocide case is continuing," Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc told reporters on Monday.

"We will also submit Aysenur's evidence to the ongoing investigation about Israeli aggressors at the International Criminal Court," he added, without giving a timeline.

Emphasising that Eygi worked to decry the Israeli genocide and defend the rights of oppressed Palestinians, he said: "She took part in a peaceful protest to advocate for human rights. Eygi was a human rights activist, having graduated from a US university this June."

"We will submit reports on Eygi to the UN Security Council. The genocide case is ongoing, and Türkiye has requested to participate," he added.

Tunc also said the Palestinian ambassador to Ankara had visited the Justice Ministry and presented a file on Eygi and Palestine.

Continuing diplomatic efforts

Highlighting ongoing efforts to protect Eygi's rights, Tunc said: "Since October 7 (2023), more than 41,000 innocent people have been martyred in Palestine. Eighty percent of them are women and children.

Unfortunately, we all see how international organisations remain completely silent about women's and children's rights, showing a clear double standard. We regretfully observe that the decisions of international organisations and courts yield no results."

He added: "Türkiye is continuing its diplomatic efforts to halt the bloodshed. Towards this end, we continue to express our stance on every platform. Without ending the occupation, establishing a free Palestine, and withdrawing to the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, the bleeding wound here cannot be healed.”

Türkiye has opened an investigation into Eygi's killing and will request international arrest warrants, Ankara said this month, while President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Türkiye would go to the ICJ over the matter.

Why it's important

Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was killed on September 6 as she took part in a protest against settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank amid the war in Gaza. Israel has acknowledged that its troops shot the activist but says it was an unintentional act during a demonstration.

Eygi's killing has added strain to ties between Israel and its main ally the United States, which has been angered by the surge of assaults on Palestinians in the West Bank and demanded a swift investigation into the incident.

Washington has said that Eygi's killing was unacceptable and that Israel must ensure such an event never happens again.

Israel's initial findings on the killing do not exonerate its security forces, the US said, warning that it would consider other measures if it is not satisfied with the results of a full Israeli probe.