It has been exactly one year since the genocide in Gaza began. We are witnessing a great tragedy, but also a great resistance, before the eyes of the world. All those who understand the devastation caused by this human tragedy -young people, students, activists, some politicians who have not yet lost their humanity, academics, workers, people of all nations, and all over the World- are striving every day to keep solidarity alive. On the other hand, the powerful states, the big companies, and the monsters created by this capitalist and fascist order choose to remain silent. They believe that what has happened will fade away through their silence and that everything will be treated as if it never occurred. Sometimes, this silence is broken by their hatred and anger, leading them to make the mistake of denigrating and humiliating Palestinian resistance in Gaza.

Ayşenur Eygi’s voice rose like a powerful cry amidst all this silence. She stood with unyielding bravery against everything that was thought, said, and written. She stood up against the oppression of the Palestinian people, even at the cost of her life. On September 6, Ayşenur participated in protests against the years-long Israeli occupation in the town of Beita in the West Bank city of Nablus. She was shot in the head and fatally wounded by Israeli soldiers during the march, and despite all efforts to save her, she lost her life. According to the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), Aysenur is the 18th protester killed in the Palestinian village of Beita since 2020.

After Ayşenur’s death, her family called on “President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Secretary of State Blinken to launch an independent investigation into the unlawful killing of an American citizen and ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable.” Ayşenur’s death was also on the agenda among high-level politicians in Turkiye. Following the funeral held in the West Bank on September 9, the Turkish Foreign Ministry began working to repatriate Ayşenur’s body to Turkiye. In a statement, the ministry described her death as “murder” and emphasized that she was killed by “occupying Israeli soldiers.” The Turkish Minister of Justice stated that all reports regarding the murder would be submitted to the cases against Israel at the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Israel’s “barbaric intervention against a civilian protest against the occupation in the West Bank.” Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi’s body was transported to Turkiye, where her family of origin lives, on Saturday, September 14, and buried in Didim. High-ranking political figures, including the Interior Minister, Foreign Minister, Justice Minister, and Speaker of Parliament, attended her funeral. The statement by the Republic of Turkiye’s Directorate of Communications stated that “Turkish-American activist Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi was buried as a martyr in Turkiye.”

Ayşenur was an activist who considered herself a socialist and proudly defined herself as a feminist.  She believed radical changes could only be achieved through revolution and often quoted Marx to support her views. During the Seattle protests, which took place soon after Trump’s election in 2017, Ayşenur passionately defended socialism in a public speech. She spoke out against racism, the difficulties of immigrant women, hostility towards LGBTQ people, exploitation, and environmental destruction.

What would have happened if Ayşenur had done all of this in Turkiye? What if she had wanted to participate in a demonstration in Taksim Square to celebrate March 8 or May 1? What if she had shouted in the streets that she stood with the workers, supported them, and opposed the exploitative system to draw attention to the economic problems Turkiye has been experiencing for a long time? What if she had participated in a “civil resistance”—exactly as the Turkish president referred to after Ayşenur’s death—like the one in Gezi Park and had spoken as a socialist, feminist, and activist during that protest while criticizing government policies?

We learned what could happen through bitter experiences in 2013. She could have been shot in the head by a police officer whose identity would never be revealed. She could have spent her entire youth, maybe her life, in prison. In the best-case scenario, she could have been declared a terrorist by the Turkish government and never allowed to return to Turkiye for the rest of her life.

So why did the Turkish government accept Ayşenur as a martyr and police escort the funeral procession? Because it is clear that the Turkish government chooses to hide behind Ayşenur’s courageous struggle rather than speaking out directly against the massacre taking place in Gaza. For politicians in Turkiye, what Ayşenur devoted her life to and what she lost her life for is not a matter of debate. Instead of addressing their primary interlocutor, the Israeli government, and instead of targeting Netanyahu and his partners, they are presenting a play to the “society of the spectacle” they have created. Turkiye continues to trade with Israel even on the first anniversary of the genocide. Additionally, a mass march in support of Palestine is still not allowed. Not only Turkiye but also Middle Eastern countries and many Gulf States that frequently stress the unity of Islam continue to remain silent about this genocide. It was Ayşenur who broke this silence. The Turkish government is only hiding behind Ayşenur’s courage. This is the hypocrisy of fascism. The Turkish government’s efforts to appropriate Ayşenur’s struggles are nothing but a story of this fascist hypocrisy.