ANKARA / ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday pledged to seek justice for slain Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi and over 41,000 Gazan civilians, comparing the situation in Gaza to the notorious 1995 Srebrenica genocide.  

At a joint press conference with Denis Becirovic, chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, held on the day Eygi was laid to rest in her hometown in Didim, Türkiye, Erdogan said: "In courts of law, we will hold Israel accountable for the killing of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, along with over 41,000 of our Gazan brothers and sisters."

Stressing the severity of the situation, he said: "Today we are witnessing in Gaza and (other) occupied Palestinian territories a massacre similar to the one carried out in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s."

Erdogan also added that the "perpetrators of Gaza," like the people behind the Srebrenica genocide, will be held accountable in international courts.

"Just as the perpetrators of the Srebrenica Genocide were convicted in international courts, those responsible for what is happening in Gaza will also be held accountable under international law," he said.

The United Nations General Assembly has declared 11 July 1995, as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Srebrenica Genocide, and Türkiye supported this decision as a co-sponsor, he said.

Türkiye has always stood by Bosnia and Herzegovina since the declaration of its independence and will continue to do so, he said.

About the regional issues, and the ties between Türkiye and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Erdogan emphasized Ankara’s continued support for Bosnia’s territorial integrity and peace in the Balkans, noting the significance of their bilateral relationship.

Erdogan also highlighted the growth of economic ties, saying that the trade volume between the countries is expected to reach $1 billion by the end of the year.

He expressed his hope for further cooperation on key infrastructure projects, such as the Sarajevo-Belgrade highway, and ongoing support for Bosnia and Herzegovina's development.

Erdogan also thanked Becirovic for his visit and greeted the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

- ‘Gaza actually greatest disgrace in world’

For his part, Becirovic invited Erdogan to visit Bosnia.

Regarding the genocide in Gaza, he said: "Gaza is actually the greatest disgrace in the world."

Becirovic condemned the killings of civilians in Gaza and urged for an immediate end to the violence, calling for peace and justice in the region.

- Shot to death during peaceful protest

Shortly before her death, Eygi traveled to the West Bank to support Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation, according to the International Solidarity Movement.

On Sept. 3, Eygi went to observe a protest in the town of Beita in Nablus, to stand against the illegal Israeli settlements there.

The movement reported that on Sept. 6 Eygi was intentionally targeted and killed by an Israeli sniper standing on a nearby rooftop.

Eyewitnesses reported that when she was shot by the sniper, Eygi was far from the protest area. She was taken to a Palestinian hospital but despite doctors’ best efforts, could not be saved.

Turkish diplomatic missions in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem coordinated the transfer of her body from Tel Aviv to Baku, Azerbaijan before her final journey to Türkiye.

Turkish authorities received Eygi’s body on Friday and transported it to the Izmir Forensic Medicine Institution for an autopsy.

Türkiye on Thursday also launched an investigation into the killing under domestic law.

The autopsy found that a bullet entered through her lower ear area.

Eygi was shot in the head during a peaceful protest and died later in a hospital.

The autopsy by the Izmir Forensic Medicine Institution has found that her cause of death was a skull fracture, brain hemorrhage, and brain tissue damage. There was a bullet entry wound but no exit wound, and metallic fragments from the bullet are being analyzed. The autopsy procedures are ongoing.