The Academy of Turkish Philately
Latest News
FEPA Awards
May 11th, 2025
The following awards were presented at the FEPA Congress hosted by the EuroPhilEx Birmingham 2025 Exhibition:
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THE FEPA MEDAL FOR EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE TO ORGANISED PHILATELY, 2024: Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi RDP (Italy)
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THE FEPA MEDAL FOR EXCEPTIONAL PHILATELIC STUDY AND RESEARCH, 2024: Mehmet AKAN (Turkey) “Postal Rates of the Republic of Türkiye, 1920-1950”. Co-authors: Selçuk AKAR, Turhan TURGUT RDP and Emre UTKU.
We congratulate the philatelists who are members of our Academy.
In the election held at the FEPA congress:
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Lars Engelbrecht (Denmark) was elected as FEPA Vice President and
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Claudio Manzati (Italy) was elected to the FEPA Directors.
New Members
April 20th, 2025
Welcome new members of the Academy of Turkish Philately.
Nihat Çimrin, TFDF Board member, permanent exhibition venue organizer of all national and special exhibitions, one of the managers of the National Struggle 100th Year project, Nader Saad, FIAP international Jury member and Iraq's permanent FIP exhibition commissioner, Julian Demeti, Albanian Federation President and TFDF National Jury Member, Albert Erikman, TFDF Thematic Commission Member and international exhibitor, Ahmet Gürkan, TFDF Thematic Commission Member International Exhibitor, Süreyya Erişkin, TFDF Thematic Commission Member and Exhibitor.
Our dear friend and great philatelist Bob Stuchell passed away. May he rest in peace.
April 9th, 2025
“Bob” was born and grew up in New York City, but for most of his adult life lived in Berwyn and Wayne, PA. He graduated with Chemical Engineering honors from Brooklyn PolyTech University, and received his MBA with honors from NYU. He had a long successful career and was loved and respected by all who knew him. Bob’s business and personal life included extensive travel throughout Europe and the Middle East.
Bob was known for his quick wit, his incredible intellect, and his unwavering kindness and generosity especially when it came to his family whom he adored. To say that Bob was an Eagles fan would be an understatement! He also loved music and it was a very big part of his life. He loved Rock'n Roll, the Blues and Bluegrass, and attended many concerts throughout his life. He also loved poker nights with his friends. Bob was an avid Philatelist, and world expert on the Ottoman Empire and it’s postal history. His many exhibits received awards and accolades worldwide. This passion led to him having many wonderful friendships all over the globe. He was a member of the Royal Philatelic Society in London, the Federation of European Philatelic Assoc, The Ottoman and Near East Philatelic Society and the American Philatelic Society.
Bob’s love for his family and friends will forever remain in the hearts of all who knew him.
Our New Website Announced by FEPA News
April 14th, 2025
"...Although still relatively young, the Academy’s website offers a wealth of philatelic exhibits related to the Ottoman Empire, news from Turkey and the European philatelic scene, and extensive lists of literature, including articles and publications by the Academy and its members, as well as from philatelic institutions of which the TFDF is a member (FEPA, FIP, Balkanfila, etc.)."
Please click here for the full article...
New FEPA Report
April 4th, 2025
Please click on the link below to access the report prepared after six Zoom meetings on how philatelic federations and associations can strengthen their presence on social media. Our Academy Directors Hakan Arlı and Hakan Yılmaz attended the meetings on behalf of Turkey.
FEPA Report: Effective Social Media Strategies and Activities for Philatelic Federations and Societies
New Members
April 1st, 2025
At the first meeting in 2025, we took a step towards extending the Academy's membership abroad. First of all, our friends with whom we share a common cultural heritage joined us. FIP Vice-President Yigal Nathaniel and FIP Director Peter Suhadolc, who accepted our offer of Honorary membership, FEPA Director Costas Chazapis, Hellenic Philatelic Federation President Christos Gikas, Federazione fra le Società Filateliche Italiane President Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi, Vladimir Milic, President of the Union of Philatelists of Serbia and FIP Juries George Thomareis JF, Fransics Amburus JF and Alexandre Galinos were honored by the presence of prominent philatelists Otto Graf, Levent Acar, Yasemin Yazgan, Erdal Tanıl, Devrim Rehber, Manolis Koutsounakis and MEP Editor Tobias Zywietz.
We hope to realize different projects with the contributions of our new members.
Exhibition Announcements
March 25th, 2025
The application forms for the FIP World Exhibitions that the Federation of Turkish Philatelic Associations will participate in 2025-2026 can be requested from the relevant exhibition commissioners or downloaded from the shared links.
Phila Korea 2025 World Stamp Exhibition
(September 17-21, 2025, Coex Magok/Seoul)
https://philakorea2025.kr/
“Connect: A future connected through each other's stories” is the theme of the Phila Korea 2025 World Stamp Exhibition, which will be hosted by the Korean Philatelic Federation and the Korea Postal Services Agency from September 17-21, 2025 at Coex Magok, Seoul.
Our academy member Atadan TUNACI was appointed and recommended by TFDF as the Commissioner and Jury for the 2,000 panel scale exhibition supported by FIP, FIAP, Seoul Metropolitan Government and Korean Ministry of Education.
Dubai 2026 World Stamp Exhibition
(February 4-8, 2026, Sheikh Maktoum Hall, World Trade Center, Dubai)
https://dubai2026wse.com/
The Emirates Philatelic Association (EPA) is organizing Dubai 2026 World Stamp Exhibition
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To celebrate 30 Years of the Emirates Philatelic Association.
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To celebrate 100 Years of the Federation Internationale de Philatelie (FIP).
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To promote friendly relations and maintain close co-operation amongst the philatelists and stamp collectors throughout the world.
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To promote philately and stamp collecting at the highest international level.
The Exhibition will be held 4-8 February 2026 at the Sheikh Maktoum Hall, World Trade Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
DUBAI 2026 is a “FIP Specialized World Stamp” Exhibition with the Patronage of the Federation Internationale de Philatelie (FIP). DUBAI 2026 will also be held under the Auspices of the Federation of Inter-Asia Philately (FIAP).
The President of the Academy of Turkish Philately Mehmet AKAN has been appointed and recommended by the Federation of Turkish Philately Associations as Commissioner and Jury.
Boston 2026 World Expo
(May 23-30, 2026, Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, MA / ABD)
https://boston2026.org
Boston 2026 Now a General World Exhibition! The FIP has upgraded its Boston 2026 World Expo participation status from Recognition to its highest level, Patronage. Boston 2026 is now an FIP General World Exhibition. The agreement was finalized between FIP, Boston 2026 and American Philatelic Society officials during EuroPhilEx on May 10 in Birmingham, UK.
Recognized by FIP, FEPA, FIAF, the Boston 2026 World Stamp Exhibition will be held in the city's Seaport district between 23-30 May 2026 as an important part of the country's 250th anniversary celebrations.
Boston 2026 will be hosting a large dealer bourse, as well as a sizable postal administration bourse, and society presence. There will be an FIP competitive exhibition of approximately 3,500 frames, plus other special/court of honor exhibits, as well as a large FIP literature competition.
Our academy member Edip AĞAOĞULLARI was assigned and recommended by the Federation of Turkish Philately Associations as Commissioner and Jury.
Founding Member Giussepe Davit FRANCO passed away
March 23rd, 2025
Our dear friend David Franco, one of our important philatelists who was a former member of the TFDF Board of Directors, founding member of the Academy and a member of the FIP Grand Prix Club, has passed away. May he rest in peace.
Giussepe Davit Fanko was born in Istanbul in 1952. He married in 1977 and has two daughters. He owns a finance company in Istanbul.
As an amateur collector, Davit's exhibitions began in 1980 when he exhibited his collection, 'French Levant Post offices between 1840- 1876' at the Istanbul National Stamp Exhibition which received the Grand Vermey Medal. He started participating in international exhibitions from 1989 onwards. He received the Large Silver Medal in India 89, the Large Vermey + SP Medal in New Zealand 90, and his first Gold Medal in Spain 90. He received the National Grand Award in Turkey in 1997.
He received twelve Gold and ten Large Gold Medals until 1998. Philex France started to exhibit his collection in the Champions class from 1998 onwards. He exhibited in this class nine times in five years. He received the 'Grand Prix of Honor' award in Valencia in 2004. Franco is a TFDF Accredited National Jury and has served as national commissioner many times. Franko, who served on the TFDF Board of Directors, is a member of many associations including AEP (1997), Club of Monte Carlo (2001), and Royal Philatelic Society of London (2010). He is one of the founders of the Turkish Philatelic Academy.
He passed away on March 23, 2025. May he rest in peace.
11th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Turkish Philately Academy
Turkey Philately Academy, established in May 2014 within the Turkish Philately Federation, is celebrating its 11th anniversary. Initially designed as a purely amateur initiative, the Academy has exceeded expectations thanks to the dedication and support of its members.
From the beginning of 2025 we started to welcome international members specializing in Ottoman, Turkish, Balkan and Middle Eastern philately. Membership is by invitation, which requires the recommendation of two existing members. Our first invitations were extended to respected philatelist colleagues, all of whom responded positively. We look forward to their recommendations joining our community in due course.
After extensive preparations, our website was officially launched in March. It features a wealth of resources, including articles, PDFs of Academy publications, exhibitions, seminars and project announcements.
Our web address: www.filateliakademisi.net
While creating the website, we reached out to our esteemed member Christos Gikas, the editor of Balkanfila News, and asked for permission to share BF News. He said; “It will be an honor for us to have the BF Newsletter on the website. Also, the BF Newsletter is a joint effort of all Member Federations, so no permission is needed...”. This philosophy also applies to our Academy's website. Designed as a common platform for Ottoman, Middle Eastern, Balkan and Turkish philately, it is open not only to Academy members but also to academics, philatelists and anyone interested in the subject.
FEPA 2024 Awards
February 8th, 2025
The FEPA Board of Directors has announced that the following medals have been awarded for 2024 to three prominent individuals, two philatelists, a design artist and the Solihull Philatelic Society of England for their significant contributions to Organized Philately.
FEPA MEDAL FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO ORGANIZED PHILATELY, 2024
Awarded to BRUNO CREVATO-SELVAGGI RDP (Italy)
Dr. Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi's philatelic activities have been highlighted by his various leadership roles in the Italian Federation, of which he is currently President and has been a board member since the 1990s, and in the organization of the international exhibitions Italia 98, Italia 2009, Italia 2018 and ECTP 2019. He is one of the organizers and main organizers of philatelic exhibitions organized under the auspices of the Chamber of Deputies and the Presidency of the Republic, giving philately an exceptional visibility.
He is also the Director of the Institute for Postal History Studies in Prato, a unique institution at European and World level, which organizes periodic studies and in-depth postal history meetings for both philatelic and academic worlds. From 2014 to 2017 he was President of the European Philatelic Academy. He is a member of the FIP jury for the philatelic literature class, to which he has contributed significantly to the evaluation regulations within the framework of FEPA. Dr. Crevato Selvaggi has produced a rich series of high-quality articles and volumes of books on philately and postal history. He has been editor of Qui Filatelia, the official journal of the FSFI since its foundation. In 2006 he was awarded the FEPA Medal for Outstanding Work and Research, and in 2022 he signed the List of Distinguished Philatelists.
FEPA MEDAL FOR EXTRAORDINARY SUPPORT TO ORGANIZED PHILATELY, 2024
Awarded to MYRSINI VARDOPOULOU (Greece)
Dr. Myrsini Vardopoulou, a painter and engraver, has been a stamp designer for over 30 years. She taught the academic course “Postage Stamp Design” at the Athens School of Fine Arts in 2019-2022 and is currently a consultant for the documentation of archival material at the Philatelic and Postal Museum of Greece. Since 2013, he has designed the front cover of Opus, the annual publication of the Académie Européenne de Philatélie and other highly acclaimed philatelic books such as the Greek Philatelic Society Centenary Publication “Traces of Communication”.
She designed the logos for two NOTOS international philately exhibitions and was an active member of the NOTOS 2021 Organizing Committee. Dr. Vardopoulou has received numerous awards, including the First Prize in Philatelic Art of Asiago for the Greek 2010 Europa stamps and the International Olympic Committee Silver Medal for the Greek 2012 London Olympic Games stamps. Her book “Greek Stamps 1861-1961, History, Ideology and Aesthetics” was awarded the Grand Gold Medal in Italy 2018.
FEPA MEDAL FOR OUTSTANDING PHILATELIC WORK AND RESEARCH, 2024
Awarded to Mehmet AKAN (Turkey) “Postal Tariffs of the Republic of Turkey, 1920-1950”
Co-authors: Selçuk AKAR, Turhan TURGUT RDP and Emre UTKU
The medal will be presented to Academy President Mehmet Akan on behalf of the Working Group at the FEPA Congress in May at EuroPhilEx Birmingham 2025.
“Postal Rates of the Republic of Türkiye, 1920-1950”
The book is a project of the Postal Rates Research Group of the Philatelic Academy of Turkey and is based on the joint work of Mehmet Akan, Selçuk Akar and Emre Utku, the leading names of the new generation of philatelists, and the respected philatelist Turhan Turgut RDP. This 350-page, full-color, fully bilingual (Turkish-English) book documents postal rates in Turkey from 1920-1950, covering all postal services and airmail rates as defined in the UPU Congress publications. It also includes extensive information on special rates and services, examining many categories that have not previously been catalogued or analyzed in detail. The book is a comprehensive reference work on postal rates in the Republic of Turkey. The information is organized in easy-to-use tables and for each rate the relevant source information is given. This allows the reader to check the accuracy of the rates when necessary. The work draws on important collections and meticulously scanned official archives, ensuring that all information on rates is supported by references to archival sources. Philately collections are often at risk of fragmentation over time, but reference publications such as this one help preserve the legacy of the subject. In terms of scope and content, this book will fill an important gap in the study of Turkish philately, becoming an essential reference work.
Certificate of appreciation – Runners up:
Jesús Sitjá-Prats, Pacific Steam Navigation Company Mail, 1840-1854
Lorenzo Carra, Italia e Iberia. La posta fra gli Stati delle due penisole 1814-1876
Certificate of appreciation:
Jean-Pierre Magne, Le Rattachement du duché de Savoie et du comté de Nice à la France, Oblitérations sardes 1860-1861
Hans-Joachim Soll, Social Philately – Menschen in Deutsch Ostafrika
Milan Radovanović, Retreat from Nis to Corfu – Silent Witnesses, 1915-1916
FEPA CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION, 2024
Awarded to Solihull Philatelic Society (United Kingdom)
Since its foundation in 1970, the Solihull Philatelic Society has offered a comprehensive program of weekly meetings with an average attendance of 22 members. The Society features talks and exhibitions by international speakers and encourages exhibitions by members. The annual 16-page competition attracts a large number of entries and offers options for novices to progress to higher levels. The Society organizes stamp fairs and participates in the Knowle Stamp Fair. The Society has a library of over 350 books and offers an exchange package for members. The society supports charitable endeavors, including a recent fundraising of over £5,000 for the Marie Curie Foundation.
New Publication: "Murat HAZİNEDAROĞLU - From National Struggle to Liberation"
February 1st, 2025
The 100th anniversary project book titled “From National Struggle to Liberation”, which was carried out under the direction of TFDF 2nd President and Academy Founding Member Murat HAZİNEDAROĞLU, was published. 180 pages, full color and A4 size publication can be obtained from Ankara Philately Association. The 100th anniversary exhibitions were organized at all stops of the liberation movement that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk started in Samsun on May 19, 1919 and ended in Ankara on October 29, 1923. The project, carried out with TFDF board member Nihat Çimrin and the late philatelist Erdoğan Şen, lasted 5 years in total and 11 exhibitions were organized in different cities.
New Publication: “Alan Mellaart - Collection of Postal History of Greece”
January 15th, 2025
Academy member and international collector Alan Mellaart has published a book on his collection of Greek Postal History, which has been repeatedly awarded gold and large gold coins. This 128-page deluxe book was first published by Collection Publications on the occasion of Balkanfila XX in Thessaloniki in November 2024 and presents a range of attractive and rare material from the author's collection. The author, Alan Mellaart, has long been a respected researcher in Ottoman Postal History and a multiple award-winning exhibitor.
Happy New Year!
January 1st, 2025
Dear friends and members,
We wish you a happy and peaceful new year.
The Academy of Turkish Philately
* Message in French on the card: “Best wishes for the year 1882 from the staff of the Ottoman Imperial Posts in Istanbul to their colleagues in the New York office”.