Miss Türkiye 2022
The first women to be elected under their country´s new English name, Türkiye, were selected in the conclusion of the national pageant which took place earlier this week. Our correspondent Nick C brigs the highlights:
I would start by sadly pointing out that this year´s production is scaled-down when compared to last year´s. It really feels like the pageant is financially struggling.
One thing that I found interesting was that the organizers claimed to have received an enormous number of fake applications. Someone even applied with a Kim Kardashian picture!
Can Sandıkçıoğlu, the pageant´s national director, also said that the 1-month or 15-day camps we saw in the past have been reduced. In his own words, the new generation is too busy, so the camps have been reduced to one week.
The pageant itself was very short and fast-paced, which is a good point. After the swimsuit and evening gown segments, the top 10 were announced and interviewed. After that, the winners were announced.
I see two main improvements: the first one was the longer, and more in-depth interviews with the candidates, more in line with changing times. I also felt the top 3 were the ones who gave the most solid interviews. The second beacon of hope was how the delegates talked about their social responsibility projects during their interviews. This was certainly a first. In fact, one of the competitors was asked why Türkiye has been so unsuccessful in Grand Slam pageants recently, and she responded by saying that they needed more preparation time. I say that knowing what the problem is, means half of the problem is solved. Bingo!
The results were very predictable and mostly fair. Anyone who knows a bit of Miss Türkiye could have easily guessed that number 19, Nursena Say, would win. She is tall, and striking, an architect with work experience, and very good speaking skills. Give her a decent gown and a strong BWAP project, and she will make at least the quarter-finals in Miss World.
I watched the pageant with foreign (non-Turkish) friends, and they all thought number 5, Aleina Sirin, who won Miss Türkiye Universe title, is a Latina-looking young woman. While I find her beautiful, her stage presence is not on par with Latina contestants. She is really a diamond in the rough!
Selin Gurdikyan Erbek, Miss Türkiye Supranational, is a medical student at Florida International University who is very qualified, even having a social responsibility project in the Dominican Republic, which could certainly help her with her “From the Ground Up” score. Her mom, Nese Erberk, was Miss Turkey and Miss Europe in 1984.
The biggest "miss" for me was number 17. She is an accomplished actress, with very good stage presence and speaking skills. It is a shame that we are not participating in Miss International, because she would have been great to compete in Japan. She would also be great for Miss Grand International.
The judging panel needs some fresh blood. Prof. Onur Erol, the plastic surgeon, is so old he could hardly speak. Candidates who look a bit different from “the norm”, like the one with afro hair (#6), were clearly disadvantaged with such people serving as judges.
There was some talk of a Mrs. Pageant, but Can said it is not suitable for Turkish societal norms. With Miss Universe allowing married women to compete, will more conservative countries like my homeland dance to the rules? We shall see…
One last thing: Cemrenaz, Miss Türkiye Universe 2021, did not attend to pass her crown. No one knows why.
I hope the three winners, all with clear potential, get the proper preparation that they deserve. It will make a huge difference and, perhaps, bring us some positive results at last!
Contestants number 17, on the left, could have been a great Miss International or Grand International for Türkiye; contestant number 6 might have been overlooked by old-generation judges, Nick C. believes.
Congratulations to the winners and special thanks to Nick C!
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