111-year-old Iraqi woman sworn in as US citizen

London, Jan 16 (ANI): An Iraqi woman aged 111 years has become the second oldest person to be granted citizenship to the United States.

Warina Zaya Bashou took the oath of citizenship on Friday at her Sterling Heights home, north of Detroit, with the help of her family friends who interpreted during her ceremony, the Daily Mail reported.

Although, Bashou has lived in the country since 2003 but she doesn't speak English.

Her cousin had translated the citizenship news into her native language of Chaldean.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services spokeswoman Marilu Cabrera said that Bashou was born in 1900 and is the second-oldest person on record to be naturalized.

The oldest person was a 117-year-old Turkish woman who was naturalised in 1997.

Bashou credits her longevity to drinking green tea and said that avoiding the doctor was helpful.

She has been in the United States since past nine years and said through an interpreter that becoming a citizen is something she wanted to do for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren to remember her by.

She will celebrate her 112th birthday in July. (ANI)