Memorial unveiled in Germany to honor 3 Turks killed in arson attack

COLOGNE

A memorial honoring three Turkish citizens who lost their lives in an arson attack in Germany in 1996 was unveiled at a ceremony in the city of Karlsruhe.

The monument commemorates Alahittin Yilmaz, Fethiye Yilmaz and Huseyin Evcim, who were killed in the arson attack carried out on Oct. 16, 1996.

The opening ceremony was attended by Karlsruhe Mayor Frank Mentrup, members of the Baden-Wurttemberg state parliament, municipal council members, representatives of civil society organizations, members of the press and representatives of the Yilmaz family.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mayor Mentrup said the arson attack was the "most serious racially motivated" crime in Karlsruhe’s history. He noted that around 40% of the city’s population has a migrant background and stressed that Karlsruhe maintains zero tolerance toward racism and far-right extremism.

Türkiye’s Consul General in Karlsruhe, Mahmut Niyazi Sezgin, said he vividly remembered watching the Molln and Solingen attacks on the news while he was a middle school student in Türkiye and the shock he felt at the time.

Sezgin said reviewing case files related to the Karlsruhe fire after assuming his post brought back the same sense of shock. He recalled that the perpetrators of the crime committed 30 years ago have not been captured.

He added that the memorial represents both a tribute to the three Turkish victims and a symbol of solidarity between Turkish and German communities against racism and all forms of violence.