Şerif Dağdelen, 70, living in southeastern Gaziantep province, made headlines when he welcomed a family of eight Syrians into his humble house and spent all he had on them. "Haji Moumtaz," meaning a distinguished man, as he is called by one of his guests, was called last week by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu after hearing his story. "I was emotional when he told me he was proud of me," Dağdelen said. Dağdelen set an example for his fellow countrymen, Davutoğlu told Anadolu Agency (AA). Dağdelen lives in a five-room house which he built himself in Gaziantep, home to more than 350,000 Syrians. The abode is all he has, apart from a meager pension. Still he has managed to host eight Syrians since last year. After his story made the rounds on the media, the prime minister called the elderly man to thank him. "I thanked him on behalf of our nation. Uncle Şerif embraces Syrians at a time when there are anti-immigrant rallies in Europe, when they are being hindered," Davutoğlu said on Sunday concerning the phone call. "We will stand strong as long as we have people like Şerif, people with big hearts, people representing the good of the people of Turkey. The oppressed people would not be suffering any more if we have more people like Şerif," Davutoğlu said in a speech on Sunday.

"I have to do this. Otherwise, I will have to account to Allah if I don't help people in need," Dağdelen told AA. He says he doesn't have much money to help more Syrians, but he was at least able to take care of their basic needs, such as food, water and a place to stay. His guests occasionally leave when they find a permanent place to stay or means to earn a livelihood. Despite his limited Arabic, Dağdelen tries to help displaced Syrians as much as he can. The elderly man sleeps on an old sofa after he gave his own bed to his guests, but does not complain as he says he feel like he is sharing the house with his own children.