The German ambassador to Turkey was summoned by the Foreign Ministry due to an alleged arson attack on a vehicle belonging to Turkey’s consulate general in Stuttgart, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Tuesday, citing ministry sources.
Ambassador Jürgen Schulz was summoned over the torching of the vehicle and the fact that other cars in the immediate area were also damaged during the fire, Anadolu said.
The news agency added that the ministry told Schulz, referring to the various attacks on Turkish representation offices in Germany in the past few months, that Turkey expects the perpetrators to be brought to justice as soon as possible, the damage compensated for according to customary diplomatic practice and complete security be provided.
A news report by the German-language daily Stuttgarter Zeitung on Tuesday said the flames from the consulate general’s parked car spread to eight other vehicles, with the fire and heat also damaging the facade of the consulate and another building, citing local police and prosecutors.
The police estimated the damage at tens of thousands of euros, Stuttgarter Zeitung said, adding that they suspect arson because witnesses saw two people wearing masks flee the scene of the fire, although no one has yet claimed responsibility.
German Minister of Food and Agriculture Cem Özdemir, who is of Turkish origin, expressed shock about the fire in Stuttgart, which is his constituency. In a tweet Özdemir said he hopes the perpetrators will be found quickly and that the crime will be completely cleared up.
Ich bin entsetzt über den #Brand vor dem türkischen Konsulat in meinem Wahlkreis #Stuttgart. Zum Glück kam niemand zu Schaden. Ich hoffe, dass die Täter schnell gefunden werden und die Tat lückenlos aufgeklärt wird.
— Cem Özdemir (@cem_oezdemir) July 19, 2022