Postal History of Turkey
Turkey sits at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, with a fascinating postal history.
Turkey’s postal system began under the Ottoman Empire, which ruled from 1299 to 1922. The first Ottoman postal service was established in 1840. Early stamps featured Arabic script and the tughra, the sultan’s calligraphic signature. After the founding of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, stamps switched to the Latin alphabet and featured Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Turkey’s first president.
From Sultanate to Republic
- Ottoman Empire (before 1923): Ruled by a sultan.
- Republic of Turkey (from 1923): Ruled by a president, starting with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
Stamps Through the Years
- 1840 – The Ottoman Empire established its first postal service.
- 1863 – The first Ottoman stamps, called "Tughra" stamps, were issued with Arabic script. These were imperforate and featured the calligraphic monogram (tughra) of Sultan Abdülaziz in Arabic: عبد العزيز خان بن محمود المظفر دائما (Abdülaziz Khan, son of Mahmud, forever victorious). Many were cancelled with circular black or blue handstamps, often including the name of the post office and the date of mailing.
- 1876 – Some stamps featured the crescent and star, symbols of the Ottoman Empire.
- 1913 – Airmail service began, with special stamps for balloon and plane deliveries.
- 1923 – The Republic of Turkey was founded, and stamps started using the Latin alphabet, with the inscription "Türkiye Cumhuriyeti" (Republic of Turkey) appearing on some stamps from 1929 onwards
- 1926 – Some stamps featured "Türk Postaları" (Turkish Posts) in Turkish and Arabic script.
- 1924 – The first stamp featuring President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was issued as part of the Treaty of Lausanne series, marking the agreement that officially ended the Ottoman Empire and recognized the new Republic of Turkey.
Did You Know?
- The first Ottoman stamps had to be cut by hand because they were printed in sheets without perforations.
- In 1901, Turkey issued "Duloz" stamps, named after Pierre Edelestand Stanislas Dulos (1820–1874), the engraver. The design was so intricate that forgers found it difficult to copy.
- A 1914 Turkish stamp was part of a set that could be folded into a tiny envelope to carry secret messages.
- During World War I, Turkey overprinted German and Austrian stamps for use in occupied territories.
- Some modern Turkish stamps have been printed using scented ink, including one that smells like roses!
A selection of Turkish stamps.
Issued in 1913: Constantinople Post office - 2 para.
Issued in 1914: Castles of Europe Series - Rumeli-Hisar is a medieval Ottoman fortress located in Istanbul - 20 para.