Turkish foreign minister to address German arson memorial

BERLIN – Turkey’s foreign minister is planning to visit Germany for the 25th anniversary of a firebombing in which five Turks were killed. The visit comes at a sensitive time, weeks before elections in Turkey.

City authorities in Solingen said Monday that Mevlut Cavusoglu is expected to address a memorial event on May 29, 25 years after two Turkish women and three girls died when fire raged through their building.

Right-wing extremists were convicted of the murders.

German news agency dpa reports that German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Cavusoglu’s visit doesn’t fall under a ban on rallies by non-European Union politicians during the three months before their countries’ elections.

The ban was introduced last year following a dispute over Turkish ministers being blocked from campaigning in Germany before a Turkish referendum.