Turks break 12 records in 2012

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

The largest bachata dance consisted of 198 couples and was achieved by Danskeyfi Dance Academy at Atatürk International Airport in Istanbul on Feb. 12. The couples danced for a total of 5 minutes and 10 seconds to break a record. AA photo

Turkish people earned places in the Guinness Book of World Records 2012 with 12 unique records in 2012.

The records vary from making the biggest pasta box to measuring the most people’s blood sugar in the shortest time, the Guinness World Records adjudicator and representative for Turkey, Şeyda Subaşı Gemici, said.

The largest box of pasta was 1.54 meters high and 1.3 meters wide, created by Barilla Gıda A.S. in Istanbul on May 8, 2012. Italy’s Barilla, one of the world’s biggest pasta makers, and Turkey’s Migros supermarket chain teamed up to produce a half-ton box of penne pasta, which sold for 999 Turkish Liras. The boxes were sold at supermarkets in Istanbul, Edirne and the resort city of Bodrum. All revenues from the sales of the massive cartons went to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The largest bachata dance consisted of 198 couples and was achieved by Danskeyfi Dance Academy at Atatürk International Airport in Istanbul on Feb. 12, 2012. The couples danced for a total of 5 minutes and 10 seconds.

The largest iftar dinner at multiple venues involved 20,715 participants and was organized by Turkish Telecommunication A.Ş. in Istanbul on Aug. 15, 2012. 81 cities took part in the attempt. The attempt was adjudicated in three cities.

The largest make-up mural measured 51 square meters and was created by Avon in Istanbul from Sept. 25, 2012 to Oct. 8, 2012. The mural measured 17 meters in length and three meters in width. It was painted by four artists in 13 days. 11,379 make-up products were used such as eyeliner, eye shadow, lipstick, foundation cream, makeup brushes, mascara and nail polish. The mural was displayed for one week in Istanbul’s famous Taksim Square.

The largest shopping trolley stood 16.6 meters from ground to handle, with a basket 9.6 meters long on the top edge. It was made by the supermarket Migros and was an exact scaled-up, working replica of the original item.

Nonstop conversation

A nonstop conversation on the Internet was held by two Turkish DJs, Cenk and Erdem, for 52 hours. The broadcast received 99,827 tweets and 62,161 comments on Facebook.

A total of 1,967 models walked on stage for nearly 2.5 hours, breaking the record for most models on the catwalk.

Businessman Akın Gökay collected 412 backgammon sets, which contain 13,596 pieces.

The Turkish Diabetic Foundation measured 5,218 people’s blood sugar in 3 hours and 25 minutes. This attempt aimed to draw attention to the risky situation in Turkey and raise awareness about diabetes.

The record for simultaneous concerts in multiple locations was broken when 41 stages hosted concerts in the capital of Ankara.

The record for most people reading aloud simultaneously in a single location is 30,231, thanks to an effort organized by Sivil-Der and its president, Muzaffer Bayram, at the Firkan Tüysüz Stadium in Siverek, Turkey on September 25, 2012.

The participants, mainly children and students, read a poem, “Hasretinden Prangalar Eskittim,” from “Anadoluyum Ben” (I am Anatolian).