İlk Türkiye Güzeli FERİHA TEVFİK Neden Yapayalnız Öldü? Amerika Onu Konuştu, Türkiye Unuttu?

She was the first Miss Turkey, but her fate was intertwined with loneliness, unhappy marriages, and an early farewell. The Republic was still in its infancy. In these years, when women were beginning to become visible in many areas from education to art, from working life to social life, Feriha Tevfik would be one of the new faces that the new Türkiye would show to the world. Born in 1910, Feriha Tevfik was the granddaughter of Mehmet Tevfik Bey, one of the Balıkhane Nazırı (Minister of Fish Markets) who held important positions in the last years of the Ottoman Empire. Her father was Mehmet İbrahimzade. Although she grew up in a prominent family, what made her different was not only her family's past. From a young age, her dreams extended far beyond her immediate surroundings. At just 13 years old, she had an extraordinary goal in mind: to go to the United States and become a film actress. In those years, cinema in Türkiye was still in its infancy. Hollywood, on the other hand, was an unattainable fairytale land that captivated the dreams of young people all over the world. Feriha Tevfik wanted to be a part of this fairytale. Therefore, even as a child, she wrote letters to some film studios in America. She explained that she wanted to be an actress. One day, she received one of the answers she had been waiting for. However, the answer was short and clear: “You are too young. You need to wait a few years.” Although this answer disappointed her, it did not deter her. On the contrary, it made her work even harder. She had a few years ahead of her, and she decided to use this time to improve herself. Perhaps she wouldn't be able to go to Hollywood immediately, but she wanted to be ready for the opportunities that would come her way one day. At that time, a different kind of excitement was being experienced in Türkiye. In 1926, the first beauty contest was held in the country. However, allegations of irregularities in the results were made, and the competition was declared invalid. Therefore, a new organization that would truly be accepted was needed. An advertisement published in the Cumhuriyet Newspaper on February 4, 1929, attracted attention throughout the country. “While beautiful women all over the world are chosen as the beauty queens of their countries, why shouldn't we have such a queen? Who is the most beautiful woman in Turkey?” This question quickly created a great stir. This competition, supported by the Republican government, wasn't organized solely for the purpose of selecting beauty queens. There was a much bigger idea behind the organization. The aim was to show the modern face of the new Türkiye to both its own people and the world. Yunus Nadi, the owner of Cumhuriyet Newspaper, which organized the competition, considered the event a national duty. According to him, these competitions were not just about aesthetics. They carried important aims such as raising healthy generations, promoting physical education, and representing Türkiye on international platforms. Therefore, the competition would not only look for facial beauty. The candidates' physiques, education levels, general culture, manner of speaking, gait, voice tone, and behavior would also be evaluated. Even dental and foot health would be considered by the jury. The idea of ​​participating in the competition came from Feriha Tevfik's circle. Saffet Hanım, the daughter of the former Roman ambassador Kazım Bey, who was a guest in their home, said that young Feriha should definitely participate in the competition. This idea was also liked by her family. Thus, Feriha Tevfik, having received her family's approval, submitted her application. She took her place among a total of 125 candidates. The first stage of the competition was public voting. The candidates' photographs were published in the newspaper, and readers voted. As a result of the evaluations, Feriha Tevfik successfully passed the first elimination round and became one of the names who qualified to appear before the jury. In fact, she was ranked 11th in the first public vote. However, this result did not stop her. Because the real decisive part of the competition had not yet begun. In the next stage, the candidates were evaluated by the elite circles of Istanbul at a private ball. As a result of these evaluations, the number of candidates was reduced to twenty. Now it was time for the grand finale. The final, held on September 2, 1929, became one of the most important cultural events of the time. The jury consisted of stars from Türkiye's art and literature world. Among those who would decide were Halit Ziya Uşaklıgil, Peyami Safa, Cenap Şehabettin, Abdülhak Hamit Tarhan and his wife Lüsyen Hanım, Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar, Halit Fahri Ozansoy, Vasfi Rıza Zobu, Bedia Muvahhit, İbrahim Çallı, Vedat Tek, Zekeriya and Sabiha Sertel. The large jury of approximately sixty people evaluated the candidates after lengthy deliberations. First, eight finalists were selected. Then, Türkiye'...