Türkiye commemorates victims of 1993 Solingen arson attack

Türkiye on Friday commemorated the victims of a 1993 racist attack in the German city of Solingen which killed five members of a Turkish family, while reaffirming its commitment to combating racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia.

Commemorating the members of the Genc family killed in the attack, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said: “On this occasion, we once again honor the memory of Mevlude Genc with respect and gratitude.”

Genc, who died in 2022 at the age of 80, became a symbol of reconciliation in Germany after losing two daughters, two granddaughters and a niece in the 1993 far-right arson attack in Solingen.

The ministry praised her exemplary stance and calls for calm despite losing her family members in the attack.

Reiterating Türkiye’s position against discrimination, the ministry said Ankara would continue its fight against “the rising racism, xenophobia and hatred against Islam on every platform.”

On May 29, 1993, four young men aged between 16 and 23 set fire to the Genc family home, killing five people and injuring 14 others. Three of the attackers were sentenced to 10 years in prison while one received a 15-year imprisonment.