Miss Turkey dethroned over 'unacceptable' tweet about failed coup
Miss Turkey has been stripped of her crown over a tweet that was deemed insulting to the memory of the 250 people killed opposing last year's failed military coup.
Organisers said 18-year-old Itir Esen was dethroned on Friday, a day after she won the contest and the right to represent Turkey at the Miss World contest in China.
The organisers said her title had been revoked because of a tweet in July that they described as "unacceptable".
Media reports said Ms Esen, a model and university student, caused a storm after she posted a remark on Twitter as the country held memorials for the victims on the first anniversary of the July 15 2016 coup attempt.
According to the Sozcu newspaper and other media the tweet, which has since been deleted , said: "I got my period on the morning of the July 15 martyrs' day. I'm marking the day by bleeding as a representation of the martyrs' blood."
She reportedly denied the account was hers, but Can Sandikcioglu, who heads the Miss Turkey Organisation, said the committee said it confirmed she was the author of the tweet.
"We are sad to announce that we have reached the conclusion that the tweet was posted by Itir Esen," the organisation quoted Mr Sandikcioglu as saying.
"It is not possible for the Miss Turkey Organisation, whose aim is to promote Turkey worldwide and to contribute to its image, to accept such a posting."
The organisation said the tweet came to their attention after the competition and that it took them "hours" to determine it was Ms Esen's.
Runner-up Asli Sumen will now represent Turkey at the event in China.
AP
