TURKEY: Syriac elder in Tur Abdin falls victim to €182,000 fraud scheme, sparking public outcry

MEDYAD, Turkey — Emmanuel Onishi, a 76-year-old member of the Syriac community in Medyad (Midyat), Turkey in the historic Tur Abdin region, has become the victim of a significant fraud. Living alone and reliant on financial aid from his brother Kanaan in Sweden, as well as income from his small farm, Emmanuel was recently deceived into signing an invoice for €182,000.

The incident occurred in June when two individuals approached Emmanuel, claiming to represent a well-known company that had distributed 100 aid packages. They asserted that the final package was delivered to Emmanuel and coerced him into signing a receipt. However, on 17 July, Emmanuel received a shocking notification demanding payment of €182,000 in exchange for the supposedly empty aid package.

Kanaan, Emmanuel’s brother, traveled to Medyad to file a legal complaint against the perpetrators who had manipulated his brother into signing the fraudulent bill. Emmanuel’s lawyer is actively pursuing the case, which has since garnered significant media attention in Turkey, leading to widespread denunciations of the scam.

This incident highlights the vulnerabilities faced by elderly individuals, particularly from minority communities, living alone and has sparked public outrage over the exploitation of one of the region’s most vulnerable citizens.