Germany marks 21st anniversary of terrorist attack in Cologne

COLOGNE, Germany

A ceremony was held on Monday in the German city of Cologne to mark the 21st anniversary of a nail bomb attack carried out by the far-right National Socialist Underground (NSU) terrorist group on June 9, 2004.

The ceremony took place on Keupstrasse, a street with a dense Turkish population, where the NSU aimed to cause mass casualties with a bomb filled with nails.

Local officials and politicians also took part in the commemoration, during which 21 white doves were released as a symbol of peace.

Speaking at the event, Türkiye’s Consul General in Cologne, Huseyin Kantemir Al, condemned xenophobia, racism, and all forms of terrorism, emphasizing messages of unity and solidarity.

Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker underlined that the city is a multicultural place of peace, saying there is no room for terrorism or racism in Cologne.

Chairman of the Keupstrasse Merchants' Association, Bunyamin Koksoy, highlighted the importance of a memorial planned to be erected at the site.

"A monument to be built here will represent solidarity, commitment, and a living, courageous culture of remembrance," he said.

Also attending the ceremony were Minister of State at the Foreign Office Serap Guler, Vice President of the North Rhine-Westphalia State Parliament Berivan Aymaz, head of the Social Democratic Party's Cologne branch Christian Joisten, Cologne Police Chief Johannes Hermanns, Cologne-Mulheim District Mayor Norbert Fuchs, Chairman of the Integration Council Tayfun Keltek, as well as various NGO representatives and political figures.

The NSU terrorist group, which operated between 2000 and 2007, carried out a series of racist murders and planned a mass killing with a bomb attack on Keupstrasse, where many Turkish businesses are located.

Although the June 9, 2004 attack did not result in fatalities, 22 people were injured, six seriously, after approximately 700 nails from a 5.5-kilogram bomb tore through the street.