German president calls for unity in wake of deadly knife attack in Solingen

By Mesut Zeyrek

COLOGNE, Germany (AA) - German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Sunday called for unity in the wake of a recent knife attack that claimed three lives in the western city of Solingen.

Speaking at a ceremony held in Solingen to commemorate the victims of the attack, Steinmeier said that terrorists aim to divide society and that the nation should remain united.

Steinmeier also addressed the issue of irregular migration, calling for stronger measures to manage it. He said that while Germany upholds the fundamental right to asylum, the system cannot function effectively if overwhelmed by too many arrivals.

Speaking at the event, North Rhine-Westphalia Prime Minister Hendrik Wust described the attack as "barbaric and inhuman terror," and highlighted the need to reassess Germany's asylum and immigration policies.

Solingen Mayor Tim Kurzbach called for social unity, stating that the attack, which occurred during the Festival of Diversity on Aug. 23, targeted not just the victims but society as a whole.

The Federal Prosecutor's Office in Karlsruhe announced the arrest of a Syrian national, who is accused of being a member of a terrorist organization and responsible for the deaths of three people and the attempted murder of eight others in the knife attack.

*Writing by Yasin Gungor