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ANKARA: Asma Al-Assad's Interpreter Seeks Shelter In Armenia

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  • ANKARA: Asma Al-Assad's Interpreter Seeks Shelter In Armenia

    ASMA AL-ASSAD'S INTERPRETER SEEKS SHELTER IN ARMENIA

    Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
    Sept 7 2013

    YEREVAN - Hurriyet Daily News
    by Vercihan Ziflioglu

    An interpreter for the wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad,
    Mihran Bertizlian, took shelter in Armenia four months ago in order
    to secure his family's safety.

    Asma al-Assad's interpreter, who is a Syrian citizen of Armenian
    origin, told the Hurriyet Daily News in Armenia's capital Yerevan
    that even though he tried not to flee Syria, he had to take shelter
    temporarily to guarantee the safety of his family.

    "I could not take even the smallest belongings with me when I was
    leaving my house. I miss my house, Syria's air and water, and even
    its beggars on the streets," Bertizlian said, adding that like most
    of the Syrian Armenians, they wished that the war would end soon and
    they could return home. "I am here temporarily. I do not feel that
    I belong to Armenia."

    Stating that Bashar al-Assad was a well-educated person, she said
    that he had been tricked and "did not know what games were being
    played in the lion's den," adding that Turkish Prime Minister Recep
    Tayyip Erdogan was also "another piece of the checkers." Bertizlian
    said al-Assad had to do more for democracy but in comparison to his
    father, Hafez al-Assad, he and his wife Asma had portrayed a different
    profile in public. "I feel deeply sorry for what has been happening,"
    the interpreter said.

    Bertizlian said it was predictable before that relations between
    Turkey and Syria would "not end positively," as relations between
    the countries had only developed in a short span of time before the
    civil war hit Turkey's neighbor.

    "Relations between Syria and Iraq also developed very fast, but
    then Syria shut down the border gate with Iraq all of a sudden. An
    inscription stating that we were allowed to visit the entire Arab
    world except Iraq was then included in our passports," Bertizlian said.

    Commenting on Erdogan's earlier visit to the al-Assads when relations
    were better, she said the meeting had been very positive and friendly
    and shared an anecdote with the Daily News.

    "There were 12 interpreters doing translations into different
    languages. Prime Minister Erdogan was being introduced to the
    interpreters, and I was forth in the line. He came toward me, I said my
    name was Mihran, and even before I could say my last name he asked me,
    'Are you Armenian?' He told me that he was happy to meet me. He was
    really frank," said Bertizlian.

    September/07/2013

    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/asma-al-assads-interpreter-seeks-shelter-in-armenia-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=54001&NewsCatID=352

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