Summary of "Ислом Каримовнинг 21 йиллик таржимони: хорижий президентлар билан сирли мулоқотлар"

Overview

This is a summary of an interview with a longtime presidential interpreter who served as Islam Karimov’s Turkish (and other languages) interpreter and protocol translator for about 21 years. The interview is part of the “Behind the Big Things” series and combines technical explanations of the interpreter’s craft with personal recollections that reveal the pressures and stakes of high‑level diplomatic language work in the 1990s–2000s.

Career and recruitment

Trained in Russian language and literature; in 1989 he studied Turkish abroad as part of a group of 20 sent to Turkey.
Began interpreting informally in 1989; officially attached to the presidential protocol service roughly from 1994 to 2011 (on a part‑time/half salary basis).
Early trips with President Karimov included visits to Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan.
Recounts a dramatic recruitment moment: security officers urgently asked him to join the protocol team, and he was overwhelmed with stress (hands shaking).

Nature of the job and stressors

Interpreting for a head of state involved intense, unpredictable conditions:
- Long monologues and abrupt, impromptu topic shifts.
- Need to render tone, intonation, and even gestures (mirroring or matching a speaker’s emotional level).
- High protocol demands and political scrutiny.
Emotional and physical strain: translating non‑stop, preserving nuance and mood under security and political pressure.
Stenography and memory: often relied on memory rather than detailed notes; tests of recall were used to evaluate capability.

Linguistic and cultural challenges

Frequent lexical gaps and false friends between Turkish and Uzbek; many culturally specific terms lacked direct equivalents. Examples mentioned include words like ashara, kirva, samovar, and various local place/office titles, agricultural terms, and military ranks/equipment.
Military vocabulary was particularly difficult because of Soviet/Russian legacy terms and differing organizational structures; prior military service helped with artillery and other military terminology.
Successful political interpreting requires much more than language fluency: deep knowledge of a counterpart country’s politics, history, economy, culture, and idioms.

Important diplomatic events and anecdotes

Participated in major summits, notably the 1999 Istanbul OSCE summit on Afghanistan where leaders such as Clinton and Yeltsin were present; the interpreter recalled that event’s resonance after 9/11.
Recounted bilateral tensions and rapprochement with Turkey—periods of cold relations followed by efforts at reconciliation.
Stories illustrating Karimov’s public behavior and attention to detail:
- Insistence on correct name spelling.
- Direct engagement with ordinary people (for example, a cotton‑field worker introducing himself as “Islam”).
- Offhand or telling remarks during visits that required careful handling by interpreters.
Examples of translation mishaps: small errors in rapid relay among Azerbaijani/Turkish/English could change diplomatic meaning, sometimes forcing interpreters to run between floors to correct misunderstandings.

Broader political and strategic observations

Regional security concerns of the 1990s shaped Uzbekistan’s diplomatic posture: instability in Afghanistan, fragile relations with neighbors (Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan), and a general sense of urgency.
Military reform after independence: aging Soviet equipment, interest in learning from Turkey/NATO, and efforts to build a new Uzbek army and security capabilities.

Professional lessons and recommendations

Key qualities for a top interpreter:
- Exceptional memory and recall.
- Broad reading and general knowledge.
- Eloquence, composure, and resourcefulness.
- Ability to anticipate and render political nuance.
The interpreter now focuses on teaching and training younger interpreters and lecturing, having stopped regular state interpreting some years ago.

Tone and framing

The piece is part of a series that highlights people working behind major political decisions.
The interview mixes practical technical detail with personal recollection, revealing both the human strain of the work and the high stakes of diplomatic language.

Named people and entities mentioned (in context)

Islam Karimov (President of Uzbekistan)
Turkish state and military officials
Erkin Vohidov (poet)
Sodiq Sopoyevich (then Minister of Culture)
Ahmedov Rustam Murmonovich (former defense minister)
Protocol officer Obudjan
Ulubek Muhammedov
World leaders at OSCE (Bill Clinton, Boris Yeltsin, Margaret Thatcher referenced)
Others in historical and regional context

Presenters / contributors

Interviewee: the former presidential interpreter who served Islam Karimov for 21 years (unnamed in the subtitles).
Interviewer / program host: unnamed.
Program/series: “Behind the Big Things” project.

The interview focuses on the often invisible, high‑pressure work of interpreters who operate “in the shadows” of major political decisions, balancing linguistic skill, political knowledge, and personal resilience.