Hundreds of people attended the funeral of activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish-American citizen who was shot dead in the occupied West Bank last week.
An honour guard carries Eygi’s coffin during her funeral, which took place in her hometown of Didim, western Turkey.
Israel said it was “highly likely” the 26-year-old activist was killed by its forces during a protest in the West Bank on 6 September. Türkiye said it was a deliberate killing.
Eygi’s death has heightened tensions between the two countries and several Turkish government officials, including Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, attended the funeral.
Mourners carrying Palestinian and Turkish flags gathered outside the Didim Central Mosque as the trial took place.
Among the mourners were Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus and leader of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Özgür Özel.
“The blood of Ayşenur Eygi is as sacred as the blood of every Palestinian martyr, and we will pursue it to the end,” Kurtulmus told reporters, according to Reuters news agency.
“As a Turkish nation, we are fully committed. As a nation, we are fully committed.”
Prayers were held for Eygi in many cities across Türkiye, including Istanbul and the capital Ankara.
Her mother, Rabia Birden, said on Friday: “The only thing I ask of the state is to seek justice for my daughter,” according to Anadolu news agency.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) previously said that “very likely”Eygi was “hit indirectly and accidentally” by IDF fire, which was “not aimed at her, but at the main instigator of the riot.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the killing was “unprovoked and unjustifiable”.
“No one should be shot and killed for participating in a protest, no one should have to risk their life for freely expressing their views,” Blinken told reporters shortly after the IDF issued the statement.
Relations between Türkiye and Israel have deteriorated since the Israel-Gaza war began in October 2023.
Türkiye suspend all imports and exports from Israel in May and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan previously called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the “butcher of Gaza”.
In response to the trade suspension, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused Mr Erdogan of acting like a “dictator”.
