Background
Keriman Halis was born in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire, as one of the six children of a merchant from Hacıosman, Manyas, Tevfik Halis Bey, in 1913.
Keriman Halis was born in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire, as one of the six children of a merchant from Hacıosman, Manyas, Tevfik Halis Bey, in 1913.
She was also crowned Mission Universe 1932 in Spa, Belgium and thus became Turkey"s first and only Mission Universe. She is of Ubykh origin. Her brother is one of the former presidents of the Turkish sports club Galatasaray South.K., Turgan Ece.
She was fluent in French and Turkish.
She participated 1932 in the Mission 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. 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.
She died on January 28, 2012, nineteen days shy of her 99th birthday.
She was laid to rest at the Feriköy Cemetery, Istanbul.