television commercials or elsewhere and repeating them when asked. When family friends remarked on Mertol's intelligence, his mother and father began to ask themselves, "Is our son gifted?" But they did not seek the answer to this question in tests. They merely put together a program to develop Mertol's intelligence. Erkan Demirelli, who will never forget those days, describes it like this: "For a whole year we went to the theatre to develop his comprehension. He was also given musical training with colors for 20 minutes a week. He learned the pieces I taught him right off the bat and at the age of four gave his first recital at his nursery school!"

FIVE MONTHS OF LESSONS WITH PROF. GÜNDEMIR
Having discovered their son's musical talent, his parents decided to develop it. Singing children's songs with the Association of Polyphonic Choruses of Turkey, Mertol warmed up to music even more. His ability to read notes attracted notice. He was five when they met Prof. Dr. Kamuran Gündemir, one of Turkey 's recognized musicians.