We commemorate with respect and mercy our five citizens who were massacred as a result of the arson attack perpetrated against their house by a group of xenophobes and racists in Solingen, Germany, on 29 May 1993. Turkish people still feel the sorrow of this tragedy and the pain of our citizens who lost their lives.

It is essential to continue relentlessly with the fight against Islamophobia and racism in Europe. We wish such an incident would never happen anywhere else in the world.

Last year, the commemoration ceremony of the 25^th anniversary of Solingen attack was held in Solingen with the participation of H.E. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey. The ceremony demonstrated that this pain in the hearts of the members of Genç family, as well as of the Turkish community in Germany, still continues after 25 years.

It is of utmost important to draw the necessary lessons from this tragedy and stand together against the menace of racism and, take effective measures against xenophobia to prevent the recurrence of such attacks.

We welcome the decision by the State of Northern Rhein-Westphalia to award every year a person or a group of persons contributing to tolerance and intercultural reconciliation togetherness with the “Mevlüde Genç Medal”.

We invitethose who have a steering influence over the community, in particular politicians and media representatives, to adopt a unifying language rather than a marginalising and discriminating approach and discourse and to promote social unityin line with the principle of living together in peace and harmony.