Germany marks 30th anniversary of neo-Nazi attack in Solingen

BERLIN 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday remembered the victims of a 1993 racist arson attack in Solingen, which left five members of a Turkish family dead.

“It was a dark day in Solingen 30 years ago,” Scholz said on Twitter and underlined that it is the state’s duty to protect immigrants and punish racist crimes.

“The murder of five people with Turkish roots by right-wing extremists reminds us that we should protect everyone who lives here, punish the crimes and help victims,” he said.

Scholz called for respect toward people from other cultures and underlined the importance of protecting Germany’s socio-cultural diversity.

The house of the Turkish immigrant family in Solingen was set ablaze in 1993 by neo-Nazis amid growing resentment against foreigners in the country after the unification of East and West Germany.

Three girls, Saime Genc, Hulya Genc and Gulustan Ozturk, and two women, Hatice Genc and Gursun Ince, were killed in the fire, while 14 others wounded, including several children.

The police arrested four right-wing extremists after the arson attack, and they were sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison.

At least 213 people have been killed in Germany by the neo-Nazi violence since 1989, according to the human rights organization Amadeu Antonio Foundation.

Racism remains a major problem in the country, as official figures show an increase in far-right crimes in recent years.

Right-wing extremists carried out 1,170 violent attacks last year targeting migrants, refugees, or political opponents. At least 675 people were injured in those attacks.

• Arson attack
• Germany
• neo-Nazi
• Solingen