Turkish victims of German fire to be laid to rest

Hundreds of people, most of them Turks, gathered yesterday at a memorial service for nine people killed last week in a fire in southern Germany. Turkish flags were draped over the coffins of the victims at the interfaith ceremony in Ludwigshafen. Turkish State Minister Said Yazicioglu, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, and German Commissioner for Migration Maria Boehmer also attended the event. Speaking at the ceremony, Yazicioglu reiterated the Turkish government's pledge to make sure the fire is investigated fully. Also speaking, Baykal said that they place great importance on the safety of Turks living in Germany. �If arson was responsible, the culprits should be found as soon as possible," he added. For her part, Boehmer said that Chancellor Angela Merkel also shares Turks' grief. Afterwards, the bodies of the victims were sent to Turkey, where they will be laid to rest today.