Turkish official conveys 'great sorrow' over deadly house fire in Germany

The chief advisor of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed "great sorrow" over the death of four members of a Turkish-Bulgarian immigrant family in western Germany, including two children, in a house fire.

"I learned with great sorrow that four people from the same family, including two children, lost their lives in the fire that occurred in the city of Solingen, Germany, and many others were injured," Akif Cagatay Kilic said on X on Tuesday after the incident, which occurred on Monday.

Calling the fire "reminiscent of the Solingen Massacre of 1993," Kilic urged German authorities to investigate the incident in all its aspects.

He was referring to a racist attack in which the home of a Turkish immigrant family was set ablaze on May 29, 1993 by four far-right extremists, who were later arrested and sentenced to 10-15 years in prison.

Kilic extended his condolences to the deceased and wish speedy recovery to the injured.

Investigation is under way

Four members of a Turkish-Bulgarian immigrant family were victims of Monday’s house fire in Germany’s Solingen city, authorities said.

Türkiye’s consulate general in Dusseldorf expressed deep sorrow for the loss of lives among community members and wished all injured a speedy recovery, in a condolence message posted on social media.

“We sincerely hope that the true nature of this fire will be investigated and clarified as soon as possible. For this, our Consulate General will continue to stay in contact with the relevant authorities,” it said.

Monday’s fire at a four-story house in Solingen, western Germany, claimed the lives of a man, his wife, and their two children, according to the local authorities.

The victims' identities were not immediately released, but their neighbours told local media that they were Bulgarian citizens of Turkish origin.

According to the fire department, the blaze broke out in the early hours of the day on the first floor and quickly went out of control. The victims were believed to have been trapped on one of the upper floors when the ageing structure's wooden stairs burst into flames.

At least 21 people were rescued from the building, with nine taken to the hospital with serious injuries, including two in critical condition, according to a fire department spokesperson.

Solingen’s mayor Tim Kurzbach said on Monday that a police investigation was under way in cooperation with other state authorities.

“I would ask you to wait and see what the further investigations reveal. In my view, everyone should refrain from making speculations at such a moment. The police and the public prosecutor's office are doing everything that needs to be done,” he told reporters.