It may be an ad but we defy you to be cynical about this video (Picture: YouTube)

So that Muharrem, who is deaf, could live one day without barriers, his entire town learned sign language.

The stunt was organised with the help of Samsung Turkey as part of the ad campaign for its new video calling centre, which enables the hearing-impaired to communicate more easily.

It took one month of preparation – cameras were rigged up around the neighbourhood and the whole town took sign language lessons.

Then on December 28 last year, Muharrem’s neighbours in Bağcılar, Istanbul, got together to give him one hell of a surprise.


Muharrem heads out for a standard day with his sister Ozlem (Picture: YouTube)

In the ad, Muharrem is seen going about his normal day with his sister Ozlem.



But, it soon transpires that this isn’t a normal day. First up, a passerby signs hello at him.

Then the guy behind the counter at the local bagel shop serves him using sign language. As does the man at the fruit stall.

By the time the taxi driver starts signing to him, Muharrem looks thoroughly bemused.

The clip ends with Muharrem’s neighbours greeting him in the town’s public square. And Muharrem breaks down.

We may or may not have something in our eye.

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