A town that made headlines when it was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for taking in a large number of Syrian refugees now aims to set a Guinness World Record with another move: The largest invitation ever produced, which will be extended to German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The Kilis Municipality plans to gather signatures from 2,000 Turkish and Syrian women for the invitation to "a female leader known for her humane approach to the Syrian crisis" on March 8, which is International Women's Day. Kilis Mayor Hasan Kara said they hoped Merkel would visit Kilis upon their invitation, noting that his city of 90,400 people, which is currently home to 127,000 Syrian refugees, is exemplary in terms of the lack of any protest or criminal incidents targeting refugees.
Kara said Merkel played "a more constructive and comprehensive role" in the refugee crisis, adding that they would like to see her join Syrian and Turkish women in Kilis in opposing the cruelty of Syria's Bashar Assad regime and Russia in Syria as well as call for an end to the bloodshed. The invitation is 15 meters long and will be further extended by additional signatures. The signatures will be collected today, and a representative from the Guinness Book of World Records will monitor the process.
