| Keriman Halis Ece | |
|---|---|
| Born | (Bıjnav) Keriman Halis February 16, 1913 Ottoman Empire, Istanbul |
| Other names | Ece, Bıjnav (Bıjnou) Miss World, Miss Universe |
| Occupation | model, titleholder pianist, celebutante |
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye color | Dark brown |
| Spouse | Dr. Orhan Sanus Sir Hasip Ömer |
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Hometown | Istanbul |
|---|---|
| Residence | Istanbul, Turkey |
| Alma mater | Lycée de Boğaziçi (Feyziati) |
| Years active | 1932-present |
| Title(s) | Miss Turkey 1932 Miss Universe 1932 |
| Major competition(s) |
Miss Turkey, Miss Universe International Pageant of Pulchritude |
| Children | 3 |
Keriman Halis Ece (born February 16, 1913) is a former Turkish beauty contestant, pianist and fashion model, who became Miss Turkey 1932. She was also crowned as the winner at International Pageant of Pulchritude in Spa, Belgium.
She was born in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire (now Turkey) as one of the six children of a merchant, Tevfik Halis Bey, in 1913. Her uncle was a renowned operatta composer Muhlis Sabahattin Ezgi and her aunt a well-known musician and composer Neveser Kökdeş. Her brother is one of the former presidents of the Turkish sports club Galatasaray S.K., Turgan Ece. She is fluent in French and Turkish.
She participated 1932 in the Miss Turkey beauty pageant that started only in 1929 and was promoted by the newspaper Cumhuriyet. She was elected the most beautiful Turkish woman in the contest held on July 2, 1932 in İstanbul among eight candidates. Keriman Halis was sent then to the International Pageant of Pulchritude contest held in Spa, Belgium to represent Turkey. On July 31, 1932, she was crowned as the winner among competitors from 27 countries, achieving Turkey’s first title at an international beauty contest after three years only of its existence and less than a decade after the founding of the Republic. [1]
Following the introduction of the surname act on June 21, 1934, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk gave her the family name "Ece", which means "queen" in Turkish language.
In 2007 Halis celebrated her 94th birthday.[2]
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Turkey Naşide Saffet Esen |
Miss Turkey 1932 |
Succeeded by Turkey Nazire Hanım |
| Preceded by Belgium Netta Duchâteau[3] (Galveston, USA) |
Miss Universe[4] (Spa, Belgium) 1932 |
Succeeded by Egypt Charlotte Wassef[5] (Brussels, Belgium) |