Türkiye commemorates victims of 1993 German arson attack

Türkiye on May 29 remembered the victims of a 1993 racist arson attack in Germany that left five members of a Turkish family dead.

“We commemorate with respect our five citizens who lost their lives as a result of the arson attack carried out by a group of racists in Solingen, Germany, on 29 May 1993, on the 30th anniversary of the vile attack. We wish Allah’s mercy upon them,” Anadolu reports, citing the Foreign Ministry in a statement.

Yasin Ekrem Serim, Türkiye’s deputy foreign minister, will attend commemoration ceremonies which will be held in Solingen on Monday to mark the anniversary of the murders, it added.

The house of the Turkish immigrant family was set ablaze in 1993 by four far-right extremists, who were later arrested and sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison.

“On this occasion, we remember with respect all our citizens who lost their lives because of racist and xenophobic attacks as well as recently deceased Ms Mevlude Genc, who showed an exemplary stance with her calls for restraint, despite losing her family members in the Solingen attack,” it said.

Türkiye “observe with concern that racism, xenophobia and hatred against Islam keep rising although 30 years passed since the Solingen tragedy,” it said. “We emphasize once again that we should fight together against xenophobia, racism and hatred against Islam to prevent all kinds of discrimination and to ensure that these kinds of tragedies will not happen again.”

It also said that Ankara will “decisively maintain its fight at all levels and in every field against this hostile mentality, which poses a threat not only to a certain society but also to the whole humanity.”

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz paid tribute to the members of the Gench family who died on May 29, 1993, as a result of the actions of neo-Nazis in the city of Solingen.

"30 years ago, a 'black date' took place in Solingen. The murder of five ethnic Turks by neo-Nazis reminds us that we must protect everyone who lives on these lands, punish criminals, and support the victims," Scholz wrote on Twitter.

The Chancellor stressed that the ethnic and religious diversity of society is a key to Germany's achievements.

Scholz attached to his post a photo of a burned house with the names of the victims.

Ein dunkler Tag war das in #Solingen vor 30 Jahren. Der rechtsextreme Mord an 5 Menschen mit türkischen Wurzeln mahnt uns, alle zu schützen, die hier leben, die Verbrechen zu ahnden und Opfern zu helfen. Mit Respekt für unsere vielfältige Gesellschaft können wir viel erreichen. pic.twitter.com/ucnV5iwOBU

— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) May 29, 2023