The Turkish Foreign Ministry has announced that it is monitoring developments regarding a house fire in Germany that claimed the lives of two Turkish citizens, while a senior government official has called on German authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the fire.
A Turkish woman, identified as Emine Çoban, and her 5-year-old son were killed when a fire broke out in a three-story apartment building in the German town of Eberswalde late on Saturday.
German authorities have not yet determined the cause of the fire, which also led to the injury of six others living in the same building.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry’s support center said on its X account that Turkey is closely following the incident, which is under investigation by local German authorities.
The ministry said the Turkish Consulate General in Berlin has conducted inspections at the site.
Police spokesman Roland Kamenz told German media on Monday that all possible causes are being investigated, adding that neither an electrical fault nor arson can be ruled out. Witnesses have been asked to contact the local police station to provide information.
President of Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) Abdullah Eren said on X that he expects the German authorities to investigate the incident thoroughly and meticulously, recalling past tragedies that “left deep scars” on the Turkish psyche.
Germany is home to one of the largest Turkish diasporas worldwide, estimated at 3 million.
Turks have been subjected to xenophobic attacks including arson in the past. As a result, such incidents immediately revive past tragedies, with many suspecting the likelihood of a deliberately set fire.
In one of the most serious instances of racist violence in modern Germany, a far-right arson attack took place in Solingen, killing five members of a Turkish immigrant family in 1993.
Meanwhile, Çoban’s husband, Eyüp, also called for a thorough investigation into the fire, asking authorities to ascertain whether it was due an electrical fault or other cause.
The father told the state-run Anadolu news agency that he has some questions regarding the fire and finds it strange that a beauty salon at the entrance of the building caught fire while the döner shop next to it was unscathed.