Miss Turkey stripped of title after bizarre coup tweet

Miss Turkey has been stripped of her title after posting an ‘unacceptable’ tweet claiming menstrual blood ‘represents the martyrs’ who fought in last year’s failed military coup.

Itir Esen, 18, was accused of insulting the memory of the 250 people who died fighting against the uprising in her country last year.

She was dethroned today just hours after winning the contest and the right to represent Turkey at the Miss World contest in China.

Esen had tweeted: ‘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.’

The organisers of the contest said in a statement that her title was revoked because of the tweet in July that they described as ‘unacceptable.’

Runner-up Asli Sumen will now represent Turkey in China.

Esen, a model and university student, caused a storm on social media after posting the remark on Twitter as the country held memorials for the victims on the first anniversary of the July 15, 2016 coup attempt.

Esen reportedly denied the account was hers but Can Sandikcioglu, who heads the Miss Turkey Organisation, said the committee had confirmed she was the author of the tweet.

The organisation said: ‘We are sad to announce that we have reached the conclusion that the tweet was posted by Itir Esen.

‘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 that it was made by Esen herself.