( dpa ) - Funerals took place in the south-eastern Turkey city of Gaziantep on Monday for nine Turkish immigrants killed in a fire last week in the German city of Ludwigshafen.
Friends and relatives of those killed in the blaze were joined by government ministers and German Ambassador to Ankara, Ekart Kuntz.
"Let us make today a sign of the Turkish and German friendship and cooperation. May God give you strength," Kuntz told mourners in a short speech made in Turkish.
The cause of the blaze in Ludwigshafen is still unknown but German investigators are expected to report on their investigations early this week.
The fire gained world attention, first with news photos of parents throwing their baby from a window to a policeman who safely caught her, then with media claims that neo-Nazis might have set fire to the building.
The fire, which broke out just after an afternoon carnival parade through the town, also injured about 60 people.