German state parliament remembers victims of 1993 arson attack on Turkish family

By Mesut Zeyrek

SOLINGEN, Germany (AA) – A state parliament in Germany held a commemorative ceremony to honor the victims of a racist arson attack that took place in 1993, resulting in the tragic deaths of five members of a Turkish family.

The ceremony was organized in the North Rhine-Westphalia parliament, at the unanimous request of all the political parties represented, which also called for an intensification of pressure to investigate crimes committed by far-right groups.

The Solingen attack is deemed one of the most serious incidents in the history of the Federal Republic, as acknowledged by members of parliament who observed a minute of silence to honor the victims.

The nameplate of Mevlude Genc, along with those of her five family members who tragically lost their lives in the attack 30 years ago, has been placed at an anti-racism monument as a lasting tribute. She passed away on Oct. 30, 2022.

Kamil Genc, who lost two daughters, two sisters, and a niece in that attack, told Anadolu that this racist tragedy will be narrated to future generations.

The Islamic Community National View (IGMG) issued a statement to commemorate the victims, emphasizing that on the 30th anniversary of the attack, history repeats itself.

-Solingen attack

In the town of Solingen in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany, the Genc family home on Untere Werner Street was targeted on May 29, 1993.

Four racist perpetrators, identified as Markus Gartmann, Felix Kohnen, Christian Reher, and Christian Buchholz, set the house on fire.

The assailants were released after serving their prison sentences.

Since their release, all four individuals, whose identities had been kept confidential, have continued to reside in Germany.