Erdoğan denounces killing of Turkish-US activist by Israeli troops in West Bank

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

Speaking at an event in Istanbul, Erdoğan 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," Erdoğan 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 national issue, the president said.

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