Jeweler Disappears with Half a Ton of Gold from Sufi Group Depositors in Istanbul

A significant crisis erupted in Turkey after a well-known jeweler in Istanbul’s Fatih district disappeared, taking with him large quantities of gold and money belonging to organizations affiliated with the Ismail Agha Sufi group.

Following the closure of the famous jewelry store in the historic Fatih area and its doors being locked with chains, it became clear that many victims had entrusted their lifelong savings to the jeweler.

Reports circulated indicating that the fleeing jeweler acted as a custodian for the funds and gold of institutions connected to the group, notably the "Union of Associations that Value Human Beings" and the charitable "Erinler Foundation."

The news site Mediascope reported that the jeweler, identified as Mohamed Y., disappeared completely along with nearly half a ton of gold, while his store has remained closed for several days.

Numerous citizens who had consistently deposited their savings at this store over many years expressed profound shock at being subjected to a large-scale fraud.

In a subsequent development, the victims received a sudden group message from the fugitive jeweler via the WhatsApp application, which circulated widely on screens. In the message, he attempted to calm the situation, stating: "My dear brothers, I do not consume anyone’s money, and I will repay your funds and deposits as soon as possible."

Prominent preacher Ahmed Mahmoud Onlu, known as "Jebli Ahmed," who previously split from the Ismail Agha group, used the incident to launch a sharp attack, questioning: "How many kilograms of gold were lost from the union affiliated with the group and from the Erinler Foundation? And who originally owns this gold?"

Jebli Ahmed posted a video on his social media accounts harshly criticizing the management of these institutions, saying: "People donate their money, alms, and sacrifices for charity. I have warned about these people repeatedly before and said do not help them. Those running these entities came barefoot from villages, and now we are talking about kilograms and tons of gold."

The dissident preacher explained the suspicious transactions involved, revealing an explicit suspicion of usury, stating: "Do you know what the jeweler was giving in return for one kilogram of gold? He was offering a return ranging between 80 to 100 grams of gold annually, which means that whoever deposits one kilogram would get back double after several years. This is blatant usury and forbidden by religious law. What kind of jeweler can regularly pay such profits?"

Addressing the public, he said: "What you are doing is placing the nation’s money there, so I call on everyone to completely refrain from supporting these associations that squander people’s money, especially İDDEF and the Erinler Foundation, which have flooded funds with this jeweler."