A whole bunch of individuals in Turkey attended the funeral for a Turkish American girl who was shot lifeless by Israeli troops within the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution.
SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
A whole bunch of individuals gathered in Turkey right this moment for the funeral of a Turkish American girl killed by Israeli troops at a West Financial institution protest in opposition to Israeli settlements. Her household is asking on the U.S. authorities to analyze the taking pictures.
Gokce Saracoglu is in Istanbul and joins us now to speak extra about this. Welcome.
GOKCE SARACOGLU, BYLINE: Good day, Scott. Thanks. Thanks for having me.
DETROW: Inform us extra about the place the funeral befell right this moment.
SARACOGLU: Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was buried in Didim, in southwest Turkey, the place lots of her relations stay. The 26-year-old was shot within the head every week in the past in a Palestinian village within the West Financial institution, and she or he was collaborating in a protest in opposition to the enlargement of a close-by Israeli settlement. Properly, witnesses and Palestinian officers say she was shot within the head whereas standing beneath an olive tree. And the Israeli army says it’s investigating the incident.
As you mentioned, right this moment, a whole bunch of individuals joined the household on the funeral, which befell a day after Turkish authorities carried out an post-mortem. Her uncle mentioned she had not informed her household she was going to the West Financial institution to affix the protests. She had even blocked her social media, so they would not know the place she was and fear about her.
DETROW: Yeah. I discussed earlier than calls from the household. Are you able to inform us extra about what her household is saying at this level?
SARACOGLU: Yeah. At this level, the place – her father has made a press release calling on the U.S. authorities for an impartial investigation. Mainly, the household don’t belief the Israeli army. President Joe Biden has known as for full accountability, however the U.S. has not but introduced if it would launch an investigation into the killing. And Eygi’s uncle informed Turkish media that Israel’s preliminary declare that it could have been an accident was, quote, “absurd.”
DETROW: And Eygi is, after all, a Turkish American. Inform us extra about what Turkey is saying right here.
SARACOGLU: So Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc mentioned Turkey has began its personal investigation into Eygi’s dying, and he mentioned they are going to challenge a global arrest warrant for individuals who killed her. Turkish President Erdogan mentioned he blames Israel for, quote, “treacherously killing the U.S.-Turkish activist.” He mentioned Turkey will take each authorized step, together with making use of to the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice, which is contemplating a South African case accusing Israel of genocide.
DETROW: On the subject of Turkey and Israel, there’s a few years of context right here. Are you able to inform us just a little extra about what relations have been like between Israel and Turkey because the begin of the conflict in Gaza?
SARACOGLU: Yeah. Properly, Turkey has already taken various steps in opposition to Israel for the conflict in Gaza. Like, Turkish Airways stopped flights to Israel in October, simply after the beginning of the conflict. And in Might, Turkey additionally suspended all commerce with Israel. I imply, that’s price $7 billion a 12 months. After which in July, President Erdogan mentioned in a speech that Turkey may even launch some type of army intervention, though he gave no particulars.
Properly, this rigidity dates again to 2010, when a flotilla of ships carrying humanitarian assist and activists sailed from Turkey towards Gaza. Israeli forces boarded the ships, which had been attempting to interrupt a land and sea blockade on Gaza, and killed 10 individuals. 9 of them had been Turkish.
DETROW: That is Gokce Saracoglu in Istanbul. Thanks a lot.
SARACOGLU: Thanks. Thanks, Scott.
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