02.03.2025 12:30
In Hatay, a mysterious benefactor paid off the 1.6 million lira debt of 400 earthquake victims listed in the store's credit book, and then disappeared without a trace. Citizens who saw the banner announcing that the debts had been paid could not hold back their tears.
A heartwarming event took place at a market located in the Yıldırımtepe neighborhood of İskenderun district in Hatay. Velid Bedir, a local shopkeeper, reported that a person who came to his market one day before the start of Ramadan wanted to close the credit ledger.
CLOSED THE CREDIT LEDGER AND DISAPPEARED
Upon the request of the philanthropist, who wished to remain anonymous, Bedir calculated the debts of approximately 400 citizens in the credit ledger, which amounted to 1 million 600 thousand TL. The mysterious benefactor paid off all the debts of the citizens and vanished.
CITIZENS WHO SAW THE BANNER COULDN'T HOLD BACK TEARS
Shopkeeper Bedir announced to the citizens that the debts had been paid by hanging a banner in his workplace. Expressing his surprise at the situation, Bedir stated that there were citizens among those whose debts were paid who could not hold back their tears.
"AT FIRST, I THOUGHT HE WAS JOKING"
Velid Bedir, who expressed that he had been waiting for this moment for 10 years, said, "We usually hear about such philanthropists from outside, but I always thought, 'I wish one would come to our shop.' Yesterday, such a man came and said, 'Take out the ledger, I will pay all the debts.' When he suddenly came, I initially thought he was joking. He said, 'I will pay all the debts of those in the credit ledger,' and we said, 'May God bless you.' We calculated the debts in the ledger one by one, and it turned out to be nearly 1 million 600 thousand TL for about 400 people, and he paid it. The debts had been accumulating for years in the whole neighborhood. Our neighborhood is a large one, and I never thought a person would pay 1 million 600 thousand TL; I thought they usually come and pay around 20-30 thousand TL," he said.
"I'M GLAD HE CAME, MAY GOD BLESS HIM"
Bedir, who stated that he encountered such a thing for the first time, said, "I'm glad he came, may God bless him, we were very happy, and later we hung a banner. The neighborhood residents found out later, and people are calling each other. There are those among the citizens whose debts were paid who are crying out of joy. People are calling their relatives to inform each other. I saw for the first time in my life that a person truly prayed from the heart. The 1 million 600 thousand TL was already the money I was supposed to receive; the most important thing was that it was very beneficial for the citizens. He had to pay the Ramadan fitra, and he did. I think the mysterious benefactor was a solid businessman, and that's probably why he didn't want to be touched," he said.