Firas Tlass is a Syrian businessman and a member of a significant Sunni family who had close relations with former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, but defected to the rebels during the Syrian Civil War.
17 Facts About Firas Tlass
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Firas Tlass was born in Damascus on 20 August 1960.
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Firas Tlass is the second eldest child of Mustafa Tlass, a former Syrian Minister of Defense from 1972 to 2004 of Circassian and Turkish origin.
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Firas Tlass attended Ecole Laique in Damascus, graduating in 1978.
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Firas Tlass studied business administration at Damascus University, graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in economy in 1984.
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Firas Tlass went to France to study French and obtained a degree in commerce from Paris.
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Firas Tlass is described as a business tycoon and Syria's sugar king.
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Firas Tlass was a significant supporter and, beneficiary of Bashar al-Assad's liberal economy policies over the past decade.
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In 2004, Firas Tlass began to provide financial assistance to the website Syria News that was owned by the Syrian Economic Center.
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Additionally, Firas Tlass was the local joint venture partner for French cement company Lafarge.
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Since 1999, Firas Tlass started some business relations with Iraq and participated in some commercial and industrial contracts between Syria and Iraq.
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Firas Tlass said that the relations with the US should be better.
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Reuters characterized the move as defection, reporting that Mustafa Tlass left for France claiming to need medical care and Firas left for Egypt.
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On 26 July 2012, Firas Tlass expressed his support for Bashar Al Assad's resignation.
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Firas Tlass further declared that he had provided the Farouq Brigades in the Free Syrian Army, commanded by his cousin Abdul Razzak Tlass, with the humanitarian and relief aid.
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Firas Tlass is married to Lubna Alsoufi, a member of one of the leading Sunni families from Lattakia.
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Firas Tlass was married before to Rania Al Jabiri since 1984 until they divorced in March 2012.