KILIS

town, extreme southern Turkey. It lies near the Syrian border north of Aleppo, Syria, and is often identified with the ancient town of Kilisi mentioned in Assyrian records. It was occupied by France after World War I but was returned to Turkey in 1921. The country around Kilis is fertile, producing olives, grapes, and pistachio nuts. The town's major industries are silk and cotton manufacture. Kilis lies on the main highway from Aleppo to Gaziantep and Kahramanmaras. Pop. (1980) 58,335; (1985) 59,876; (1990) 82,882.