Turkish man teaches disabled kids to dance

By Muhammed Nuri Erdogan

ANKARA (AA) - A Turkish dance teacher brings smiles on the faces of disabled people at home and abroad.

Metin Yazir has been teaching children in Bosnia, Romania and Turkey for the last four years at various institutions.

Yazir told Anadolu Agency that he discovered his interest in dancing as a little kid while watching a show on television.

In the following years, he immigrated to Germany and learned tango there.

Alongside, he began teaching his nephew with Down's syndrome to dance.

“People with Down's syndrome act when they sing and dance, they do better with sports,” Yazir said.

The bond he shared with his nephew turned into something more fulfilling. His pool of students grew over the years.

Speaking about his interaction with students, he said: "Every day we learn something new and we continue to progress."

He said he trains the teachers.

“Our teachers spend more time with them. I can only visit the institutions once or twice a month."

The UN General Assembly designated Dec. 3 as the International Day of Disabled Persons in 1992, with an aim to highlight the difficulties and problems people face.

* Writing by Erdogan Cagatay Zontur