Nihal Tuğba Özay (born February 10, 1978) is a Turkish

model A model is an informative representation of an object, person, or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin , . Models can be divided in ...

and singer. She was elected the first runner-up in the Miss Model of the World contest in 1995.

Early life

Özay was born in

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

on February 10, 1978. Her mother, a teacher and an author of

textbooks A textbook is a book containing a comprehensive compilation of content in a branch of study with the intention of explaining it. Textbooks are produced to meet the needs of educators, usually at educational institutions, but also of learners ( ...

specializing in

mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

and

economics Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...

, is from

Antalya Antalya is the fifth-most populous city in Turkey and the capital of Antalya Province. Recognized as the "capital of tourism" in Turkey and a pivotal part of the Turkish Riviera, Antalya sits on Anatolia's southwest coast, flanked by the Tau ...

and her father, also an award-winning author of textbooks used in

primary schools A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

across Turkey, as well as being a poet and a man of literature, is from

Trabzon Trabzon, historically known as Trebizond, is a city on the Black Sea coast of northeastern Turkey and the capital of Trabzon Province. The city was founded in 756 BC as "Trapezous" by colonists from Miletus. It was added into the Achaemenid E ...

, making her, in her words "a blend of the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

and the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...

". Özay developed multiple interests since childhood, writing stories and plays for children as well as poetry, and all at the same time engaging in

performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. P ...

and

sports Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in ...

. She started her theatre education at the age of seven in

Kadıköy Kadıköy () is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district on the Asian side of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 25 km2, and its population is 467,919 (2023). It is a large and populous area in the Asian si ...

Public Education Centre's Experimental Stage, which she continued until she was fourteen. During this period she was also active in writing many plays and

screenplays A screenplay, or script, is a written work produced for a film, television show (also known as a ''teleplay''), or video game by screenwriters (cf. ''stage play''). Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writ ...

. She did her secondary studies in Fenerbahçe High School and then registered in the Conservatory Music and Theatre Department of Haliç University, which she still attends between professional engagements. In sports, she was a professional swimmer in

Galatasaray Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (, ''Galatasaray Sports Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Galatasaray and familiarly as Cimbom, is a Turkish sports club based on the European side of the city of Istanbul including basketball, wheelchair ...

for about ten years and then she became a trainer there for a time. But since she was too young then, the ambition for becoming a swimming trainer faded soon. However, after having been discovered by Fenerbahçe, she made a switch to

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

and played volleyball professionally for about five years. Tuğba is also an accomplished

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike; uni (if one-wheeled); trike (if three-wheeled); quad (if four-wheeled)) is a lightweight private 1-to-2 passenger personal motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar from a saddle-style ...

rider. Since the age of eight she has driven a race motorcycle. She is also an expert in

paragliding Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or in a cocoon-like 'pod' suspended be ...

and

Muay Thai Muay Thai or Muaythai (, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, the Art of Eight Limbs or the Science of Eight Limbs, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinch fighting, cl ...

. She took diving training at Istanbul Sailing Club. She retained an interest in arts also through this period and attended

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

and

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

courses in

Istanbul University Istanbul University, also known as University of Istanbul (), is a Public university, public research university located in Istanbul, Turkey. Founded by Mehmed II on May 30, 1453, a day after Fall of Constantinople, the conquest of Constantinop ...

State Conservatory. During her school years she received a number of titles in art, music and writing competitions.

Career

Early career in fashion

Tuğba Özay took her first steps into the world of fashion in a non-professional manner, having been selected in 1994 for a fashion show by the designer Ayla Eryüksel. Özay was soon remarked and shortly afterwards she started her professional career in fashion with a show by the Turkish clothing brand

Vakko Vakko is a Turkish luxury fashion company founded by Vitali Hakko (d. 2007) survived by his son Cem Hakko. It produces and retails textiles, leather goods, and accessories. Vakko also operates luxury department stores under the Vakko name at ...

. In the same year, she also appeared on the

TV series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming platf ...

"Sonradan Görmeler" (''The Upstarts'') broadcast on TRT, the national public broadcaster of Turkey. In 1995, she was elected "Miss Model of Turkey", and then became the first runner-up to the Miss Model of the World in the final contest. She was also chosen in the contest as the contestant who had the best body. She pursued her modelling career in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

for seven months in 1996 but later chose to concentrate on a more Turkey-oriented career. Following her return to Turkey, she made a contract with the

panties Panties are women's form-fitting underpants. Typical components include an elastic waistband, a crotch panel to cover the genitalia (usually lined with absorbent material such as cotton), and a pair of leg openings that, like the waistband, ...

brand Müjde Parizien and became the "Parizien Leg Girl" for three years.

TV series

In 1997 and 1998, Tuğba Özay starred in the TV series ''Hemşerim'' (''My Countryman'') and ''Aynalı Tahir''. At the end of 1999 she was noticed by the Turkish film director Türker İnanoğlu and through his advice and suggestions, she played important roles in such TV series as ''Zehirli Çiçek'' (''Poisoned Flower''), ''Yapayalnız'' (''All Alone''), ''Bizim Otel'' (''Our Hotel'') and ''Çiçek Taksi'' in the following years. Pursuing her modelling career at the same time as starring in TV series, she soon became one of the wealthiest in her profession in Turkey. She also received numerous awards as a model. It was around this time that her biography and lifestyle was covered by a team from

BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1 January 1927. It p ...

for a programme in the cycle of '' This World'' series in which she was the representative from Turkey, alongside prominent political figures from other Islamic countries. Another landmark of her television career came when she took part in the Turkish version of the

game show A game show (or gameshow) is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment where contestants compete in a game for rewards. The shows are typically directed by a game show host, host, who explains the rules of the program as well as commentating a ...

'' The Wheel of Fortune'' assisting the presenter

Mehmet Ali Erbil Mehmet Ali Erbil (born 8 February 1957) is a Turkish people, Turkish actor, comedian and Talk show, talk show host. Biography Mehmet Ali was born in Istanbul, Turkey, as the son of Sadettin Erbil, a theatre and film actor, in 1957. He is the gra ...

. She also presented two other entertainment shows of her own. She resumed theater acting, somewhat neglected since her school years, in the 2000s. She had a part in ''Dün Gece Ormanda Çok Komik Birşey Oldu'' (''Something funny happened in the woods yesternight'') under the theater director Ferhan Şensoy and the play was a success. She pursued her theatre career with the play ''Tanıştırayım, Burası Türkiye'' (''Let Me Introduce You to Turkey''), a

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...

for which she had chosen the title herself and in which she also sang a song. The play was performed by the private group Abdullah Şahin Nokta Theatre and it was also well received by the audiences.

2007 ordeals

At the peak of her career in 2007, complicated series of events led to her being sentenced to imprisonment. She spent five and a half months in Istanbul's Paşakapısı Prison for Women and Juveniles. She was productive even in prison, where she kept a regular diary, on the basis of which she published her prison souvenirs in novelized form, titled "Bedel" (''The Pay Off''), soon after her release in June 2008. The book was a

bestseller A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties (novel, nonfiction book, cookb ...

in Turkey.

Fitness video

Another step in Özay's career was the release of a fitness video called ''"Fitness with Tuğba Özay"'' which sold around 30,000 copies. After a while she published a catalogue named ''"Best of Tuğba Özay"'' to mark her tenth anniversary in her modelling career. With the catalogue's revenues, Tuğba Özay financed the reconstruction of a school in the town of

Çubuk Çubuk is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Ankara Province, Turkey. Its area is 1,198 km2, and its population is 95,449 (2022). Çubuk is in a flat plain 35 km north of the city of Ankara, where Ankara airport is loca ...

near

Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...

which was destroyed by a 2004 hurricane disaster. For this action she was honoured and awarded by Turkey's Minister of National Education of the time.

''Saddam's Soldiers''

Her first feature movie, ''Saddam's Soldiers'' (''Saddam'ın Askerleri), in which she plays the leading role was released in 2009. Back in 2003, Özay had already made the headlines in relation to

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

when she became the first international artist to have succeeded in obtaining a permission for shooting a

video clip Video clip may refer to: *Short videos, especially short-form content ** Video clip (online media), a short snippet of a video uploaded on the internet *A music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that ...

in one of the palaces of the country's ex-dictator. In the first month of the same year she was back on television, representing Turkey in a documentary prepared by SF (

Schweizer Fernsehen Schweizer Fernsehen (SF; "Swiss Television") was the German-language division of SRG SSR, in charge of production and distribution of television programmes in Switzerland for German-speaking Switzerland. It had its head office in Zürich.

), the

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

television network. She has also been invited to

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

to play a role in television ads and for interviews.

Music album

Her first album, called ''Harmony'', was released in February 2010 after one year in preparations and contains sixteen songs, fourteen of which she wrote. The two other songs were written by her father İlhan Özay.

Personal life

Marriage

She married Italian businessman Ludovic Fattizzo on 12 May 2009 in

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

. They divorced in 2019. Also in 2009, she made a notable appearance on the

catwalk A fashion show is an event put on by a fashion designer to showcase their upcoming line of clothing and/or accessories during a fashion week. Fashion shows debut every season, particularly the spring/summer and fall/winter seasons. This is where ...

as the head model during a night organized by Prince Albert of Monaco featuring works by the

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

n clothes designer Terrence Bray, in an event which was widely covered by the press.

Political views

Tuğba Özay is a member of CHP, from Turkey's center-left political spectrum, and declares her left leaning opinions openly, as well as her strong views on hot topics in Turkey's political agenda such as the headscarf controversy and

secularism Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on naturalistic considerations, uninvolved with religion. It is most commonly thought of as the separation of religion from civil affairs and the state and may be broadened ...

Conviction

In 2004, Özay was sentenced to three months in prison for insulting police officers at the

full body scanner A full-body scanner is a device that detects objects on or inside a person's body for security screening purposes, without physically removing clothes or making physical contact. Unlike metal detectors, full-body scanners can detect non-metal ...

İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport is an international airport serving İzmir and most of the surrounding İzmir Province, province in Turkey. It is named after former Turkish prime minister Adnan Menderes. Overview İzmir's main airport is located ...

as she was returning form a presentation abroad. The court converted the imprisonment into a fine of 1,481. In 2007, Özay was detained for five and half months during a trial with 51 suspects accused of forming an armed criminal organization for financial profit. She was released from detention on January 24, 2008. The trial concluded on December 7, 2012. The court convicted her of criminal threatening and sentenced her to one year and eight months in prison. She was acquitted of a hierarchical membership in the criminal organization or lending any assistance.

Discography

;Albums ;Singles

Filmography

Books

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ozay, Tugba Living people 1978 births Models from Istanbul Istanbul University alumni Turkish female models Turkish women's volleyball players Fenerbahçe S.K. (women's volleyball) players Turkish female swimmers Galatasaray Swimming swimmers 20th-century Turkish actresses Turkish prisoners and detainees Turkish television actresses Turkish film actresses Actresses from Istanbul Singers from Istanbul