The Academy of Turkish Philately
Latest News
After the Istanbul 2025 National Stamp Exhibition
October 9th, 2025
Our National Exhibition was held at the Rami Barracks and Library in the Rami district of Istanbul between September 27 and October 5, 2025. Approximately 500 panels from the collection were displayed at the exhibition.
VENUE: The Rami Library, which covers an area of 220,000 square meters, is among the 19 projects shortlisted for the 16th Aga Khan Award for Architecture (2023–2025). The Rami Library, which is the largest library in Europe, also hosted our National Exhibition in its exhibition hall. The venue was perfect as an exhibition space.
SPONSORS: The exhibition was part of the Ministry of Culture's Turkey Culture Route Festival program, sponsored by TFDF and PTT AÅž.
PUBLICITY: For a long time, we could only promote exhibitions through social media. Since the Istanbul Exhibition was included in the Ministry of Culture's Türkiye Culture Route Festival, it was featured in all of the Ministry of Culture's advertising and promotional materials. In addition, thanks to the special efforts of our Board Member Murat ÇELEBÄ° and PTT bureaucrats, the Ministry of Transportation and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and District Municipalities provided support for the first time in terms of publicity. For 10 days, exhibition posters and advertisements continuously rotated on promotional screens at all Metro and Marmaray stations. We also featured on promotional billboards on main streets.
This was the first time a philatelic exhibition was promoted at this level, and we were able to measure the difference that effective promotion makes.
EXHIBITION: Work on the Istanbul Exhibition began in mid-2024. To make the exhibition possible, our Board members Mehmet AKAN and Murat ÇELEBÄ° held numerous meetings at the PTT General Directorate. TFDF President Ziya AÄžAOÄžULLARI made countless phone calls to PTT. We were only able to finalize the protocol about forty days before the exhibition.
Despite the government's austerity measures, Ali Ä°hsan KOÇ, PTT General Directorate Head of the Valuable Papers Department, Menderes PINARBAÅžI, Deputy Director of Department, Mehmet AKAN, TFDF Board Member and Exhibition Coordinator, and Murat HAZÄ°NEDAROÄžLU, TFDF II. President and Technical President made extraordinary efforts to ensure the exhibition took place, and as always, our Secretary General Arman ARIKAN acted as a mentor to all federation officials with his experience.
Despite taking full responsibility for the first time, our Treasurer Ahmet BAHÇIVAN provided impeccable service. Board Members Nihat ÇÄ°MRÄ°N and Muzaffer ARDA, Philately Branch Manager Mesut UÇAR, PTT Istanbul Valuable Papers and Museum Director Hacer GÜLEN and her team worked day and night to make a significant contribution to the realization of the exhibition within a very tight schedule. Additionally, Academy Director Devrim REHBER shared announcements on our website in both Turkish and English in a timely manner. Our Izmir Commissioner Engin ÇAKMAK volunteered to introduce philately to hundreds of students throughout the exhibition.
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​Finally, we must make a special mention of Mr. Menderes PINARBAŞI. Throughout the entire exhibition, he managed the coordination between PTT, the Ministry of Culture, Rami Library, and TFDF in this multi-faceted organization in an extraordinary manner and resolved every issue without any problems.
JURY: Four different Jury Groups were formed, chaired by Ziya AÄžAOÄžULLARI, with Arman ARIKAN as Secretary General and Mehmet AKAN, Edip AÄžAOÄžULLARI, and Muzaffer ARDA as Team Leaders. Atadan TUNACI, Turhan TURGUT, Åžükrü MELEK, Mehmet BOSTANOÄžLU, and Kemal GÄ°RAY served as jury members.
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Emre UTKU in the postal history class, and Saadettin KAYSERÄ°LÄ°OÄžLU and Yasemin YAZGAN in the thematic classes successfully passed the trainee jury exam in full compliance with FIP standards. We have no doubt that they will serve our philately in the coming years.
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SEMINARS: During the exhibition period, The Academy of Turkish Philately organized seven different seminars targeting various interest groups, a number that is difficult to achieve even at international exhibitions. These seminars, which attracted a high level of general interest, covered topics ranging from the lesser-known, such as AI-Artificial Intelligence, Frama Stamps, and Crypto Stamps, to more traditional subjects like Ottoman Philately, Thematic Collections, and Encouraging Young People to Love Philately.
We got together as a family for a social event and shook off the day's fatigue.
CONCLUSION: Despite the very limited preparation time, our national exhibition was held in full compliance with FIP rules and standards in every respect. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to our experienced colleagues mentioned here, as well as all the new members who joined us, the members of The Academy of Turkish Philately who gave seminars, all the competitors and our Associations, the PTT staff who worked with us, the Ministry of Culture, the General Directorate of Libraries, and the Rami Library.
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As with all volunteer organizations, we noted any minor disruptions that occurred. We will organize training sessions on this subject in the coming months.
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We look forward to seeing you at our next exhibition.
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TFDF Board of Directors
PHOTOGRAPHS: Murat HazinedaroÄŸlu, Koray OlÅŸen, Hacer Gülen, Emre Utku, and Devrim Rehber.
Turkish Republican Money
(https://cumhuriyetparalari.com/en/)
October 9th, 2025
We recommend you explore the Turkish Republican Money website, which compiles numismatic information about Turkish currencies from the Republican era and covers many topics of interest regarding both our banknotes and coins.
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To access the page Artists Whose Designs Were Used On Turkish Currency, which we believe will be of particular interest to you and features artists who also created stamp designs, please click here...
Phila Korea 2025 World Stamp Exhibition Final Report
(17-21 Eylül 2025, Coex Magok/Seul)
October 7th, 2025
Prof. Dr. Atadan Tunacı
“I participated in the FIP Exhibition as a commissioner on behalf of TFDF and hereby submit my report below.”
Six applications were submitted from our country to the exhibition, and three collections were accepted. These three collections competed in three different categories: POSTAL HISTORY, TRADITIONAL, and THEMATIC.
The exhibition, in which I served as both commissioner and jury member, was very successful. Thirty-eight jurors from around the world participated. I served on the 3C evaluation group in the postal history section. I gained experience and contributed to the detailed evaluation of the relevant collections.
Over 2,000 panels were displayed in the area, showcasing some truly high-caliber collections.
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The event took place in an impressive exhibition-hotel complex, both in terms of its social program and venue, featuring promotional dinners for upcoming exhibitions and numerous seminars.
Exhibition Opening Concert
There were many innovations in philately at the exhibition. These included stamps drawn by robots, talking stamps, and digital philately, which were particularly noteworthy.
Our Collections Competing on Behalf of Türkiye and Their Rankings:
Joseph Hackmey and his collection, which participated in the exhibition with his Tughra Emission:
Distribution of Jury Medals:
Seminars:
FIP organized various seminars in the exhibition halls. I had the opportunity to attend two of these seminars.
The GP International was awarded to the Japanese PS collection by majority vote. The GP Honour was awarded to the Siam collection and the Taiwan collection.
Palmares Dinner
General Assessment:
I would like to thank the TFDF for nominating me as a judge and commissioner. Despite participating with only three valuable collections, we represented our country strongly. We still have a way to go, but we are on the right track.
The Korean Federation organized an event that can be described as excellent among the exhibitions I have seen. On behalf of the TFDF, we would like to thank the Federation presidents who supported the organization both financially and morally, and the general commissioners for their extraordinary work.
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ATADAN TUNACI
September 26th, 2025
Istanbul 2025 National Stamp Exhibition Opens
September 27th, 2025
Ä°stanbul 2025 Milli Pul Sergisi
Ä°stanbul 2025 Milli Pul Sergisi
Ä°stanbul 2025 Milli Pul Sergisi
Ä°stanbul 2025 Milli Pul Sergisi
Academy Seminars, 2025 National Stamp Exhibition, Rami Library/Istanbul
September 24th, 2025
Dear collectors,
Seven different seminars will be held at the exhibition venue as part of the Istanbul 2025 National Stamp Exhibition.
The announcements for the seminars are below.
We kindly invite you all to attend.
Istanbul 2025 National Stamp Exhibition Program Announced
September 15th, 2025
Istanbul 2025 National Stamp Exhibition Program
Click here to access the Exhibition Program (.pdf)...
The 20th Philatelic Forum in Northeast China
September 6th, 2025
On September 5, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. Turkey time, The 20th Northeast China Philatelic Forum, was held at the Workers' Cultural Palace in Changchun, Jilin Province. Our Academy was a guest at the forum, and a presentation titled “Philately in Turkey" was given by Mehmet AKAN and our young philatelist Kaan LEONARDO.
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There were around 100 physical participants at the forum. Since applications such as Zoom and WhatsApp are restricted in China, the presentation was made in .ppt format via WeChat. Kaan provided simultaneous translation into Chinese. We would also like to thank the forum coordinator, Zhongwei Zhao. Our Academy has been in contact with various institutions to promote Turkish Philately.
The 20th Philatelic Forum in Northeast China
August 30th, 2025
On September 5, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. Turkey time, our Academy will be a guest at The 20th Northeast China Philatelic Forum, to be held at the Workers' Cultural Palace in Changchun, Jilin Province. TFA President Mehmet Akan will give a presentation titled “Philately in Turkey,” primarily aimed at young Chinese philatelists.
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Basic information about the history of Turkish postal services from 1840 to 1923 and a brief history of organized philately in Turkey will be presented. At this forum, many prominent philatelists have previously given presentations, including our Academy member FIP Director Peter Suhadolc, Vladimir Milić, FIP Vice President Aldo Samamé y Samamé, FIP Director Reinaldo Macedo, FIP Revenue Commission Chairman Ralph Ebner, and Royal Philatelist President Simon Richards. The format also provides opportunities for young philatelists. On behalf of our Academy, our young colleague Kaan Leonardo will both give a presentation on “Stamps of the Republic of Turkey” and simultaneously translate the Academy's presentation into Chinese.
FIP Medal of Appreciation for Exceptional Jury Service
August 21st, 2025
On behalf of TFDF, our Secretary General Arman ARIKAN applied to FIP in June 2025 to nominate Turhan TURGUT, RDP, FRPSL, The Academy of Turkish Philately Honorary President for the “FIP Medal of Appreciation for Exceptional Jury Service,” which is awarded to individuals who have served on a certain number of FIP juries. On August 20, 2025, we received a letter from the FIP Secretariat informing us that our request had been accepted and that the medal would be presented at an appropriate FIP exhibition.
On behalf of TFDF and Turkish philately, we congratulate Turhan TURGUT on receiving this prestigious award.
TFDF Board of Directors
M. Kühut Alanyalı has passed away
August 12th, 2025
The Board of AROS:
On 2nd July 2025, our founding member and Honorary Chairman Kühut Alanyalı passed away. We mourn the loss of one of the most influential founding members of our association. When our Ottoman Empire/Turkey study group was formed, Kühut Alanyali was already a world-renowned collector of stamps and postal history of the Ottoman Empire. Wilhelm Weber established contacts him and recruited him as a founding member of our association.
Kühut Alanyalı was born in 1939 in Ä°zmir and lived in Germany since 1962. He was married and had two children. After studying architecture and engineering in Ä°stanbul, he established several companies and was the managing owner of the WERT Group as well as an independent entrepreneur in the construction, fashion, textile, and hospitality industries.
He had been collecting stamps since the age of seven and had assembled an internationally renowned collection of the Ottoman Empire, focusing on TuÄŸra, Duloz, Empire, pre-philately, Lianos/Ä°stanbul city post. Alanyalı also collected German states (especially Württemberg), pocket watches and Far East sea shells. He was an enthusiastic golf player.
He was a member of the Royal Philatelic Society London, the Ä°stanbul Philatelic Association and the Heinrich von Stephan Stamp Collectors’ Guild in Böblingen.
He used his reputation in international philately to establish contacts for our association. For many years, he was a staunch supporter association, both organisationally and financially. His success as an independent entrepreneur had enabled him to assemble extensive collections. Tragically, it was the insolvency of his group of companies that forced him to sell some of his collections.
Unfortunately, many of today’s members were not able to meet him personally at the annual meetings. However, it quickly became clear that the provenance ‘ex Alanyalı’ was a special mark of quality. He always brought parts of his fantastic collections to the meetings in Kirchheim and surprised even seasoned specialists with the scope and quality of his collection items.
After the sale of his collections, contact with the association unfortunately broke off more and more. However, as a founding member who had done so much for our association, he remains unforgotten. We have lost one of the great personalities of our association. We will remember him with gratitude.
May he rest in peace.
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(Arbeitsgemeinschaft Osmanisches Reich/Türkei)
Otto Graf (1st Chairman), Tobias Zywietz (2nd Chairman), Jens Warnecke (Treasurer)
PTT NFT (Crypto) Stamp Consultation Meeting (August 7, 2025)
August 8th, 2025
Dear Members,
On August 7, 2025 at the invitation of Mr. Fatih Tezcan, Deputy General Manager of PTT, we participated in a working dinner and presentation held at the PTT Stamp Museum Special Hall with the participation of approximately 25 people, including Department Heads, Deputy Heads, Museum Director, and Philately Branch Manager.
The main agenda of the meeting focused on various topics directly related to philately, particularly the issuance of NFT (Crypto Stamps). Within this framework, a comprehensive and meticulously prepared presentation lasting approximately 40 minutes was delivered.
During the meeting, we shared our views and evaluations as philatelists and sought to clarify the subject by asking questions. Given that the concepts of NFT and digital stamps are still quite new and developing in terms of their impact on philately, PTT expressed a positive approach toward continuing the process in the form of a working group.
We are pleased to note that PTT's serious interest and enthusiasm for the subject is encouraging for us.
We believe that our members who wish to contribute to this new and dynamic field and who have knowledge or interest in NFT and crypto technologies can form a strong opinion and stance that reflects the philatelist perspective if they contact us.
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At the meeting, Mehmet Akan, Murat Ä°brahim Çelebi, Koray OlÅŸen, and Yavuz Ildız represented TFDF, TFA, and ANFÄ°LA on the philately side.
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Istanbul'25 National Stamp Exhibition (September 27 - October 5, 2025)
August 7th, 2025
The protocol for the Istanbul '25 National Stamp Exhibition was signed today (August 7, 2025) by PTT and TFDF. We uploaded the Application Form and Exhibition Regulations to the Academy and TFDF websites. Applications will be accepted until September 1, 2025. Time is very limited. You may direct your questions to TFDF President Ziya Ağaoğulları, Exhibition Secretary General Arman Arıkan, Deputy Secretary General Muzaffer Arda, Exhibition Coordinator Mehmet Akan, and General Commissioner Murat Hazinedaroğlu.
Click here to access the Application Form (.pdf)...
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Postal Bonds - Academy Archive
August 4th, 2025
A contribution to what we know so far about postal bonds, a type of material familiar to postal history collectors. Details regarding the use of bonds: Years later, I found new information about bonds in the notes of the late PTT employee Niyazi Önder, whom none of us knew, and I am sharing it here. (Mehmet AKAN)
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(If you have any contributions regarding the use of bonds, we will add them to the sharing. In particular, the latest usage date is not yet fully clear.)
Please click here to access our archive page on Postal History / Postal Forms...
Ali Nusret Pulhan awarded GOLD PLAQUE AWARD - Academy Archive
July 31st, 2025
At the Palmeres ceremony of the ANKARA'79 4th National Stamps Exhibition, held in the halls of the Ankara State Fine Arts Gallery from 14 to 20 October 1979, the Ankara Philatelic Society's Board of Directors awarded Ali Nusret Pulhan the 'GOLD PLAQUE AWARD' for his contributions to Turkish Philately spanning over 50 years. The award was presented by the association's president, ErdoÄŸan Tümer. This award is the first to be given to an individual outside of competitions in Türkiye.
Please click here to access the archive page on this topic in our Philatelic History section...
PTT Stamps Promotion Brochures - Academy Archive
July 27th, 2025
The first post from Traditional Philately is from our Academy Director Selçuk AKAR and Ozan KUNTAY. They are sharing the first part of the Stamp Promotion Brochures issued by PTT that they have collected over the years. These are from 1935 to 1960.
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(​If you have any additional items not included in the shared collection, please send them to us, and we will add them as well. Sharing will continue in groups...)
Turkish Philatelic Club, Ankara (1936) - Academy Archive
July 26th, 2025
We continue our ACADEMY ARCHIVE project with the Turkish Philatelic Club, founded in Ankara in 1936. Our dear friend Tarık ÇAKIN closely follows our work and shared a photograph that serves as documentation. It is a group photograph taken in 1936 in the studio of the famous photographer Rasim AR, located opposite the Ankara Courthouse.
Please click here to access this archive page on our history of philately...
New Members
July 22nd, 2025
2025 The new members of the Turkish Philatelic Academy who joined us at the June and July meetings, Koray Olşen, Vice President of the Ankara Philatelic Association (ANFİLA), Yavuz Ildız, ANFİLA Board Member, Javaid Muhammad, JF of the FIP jury and Chairman of the FIP Literature Commission, Nikola Nino Marakovic, Jean-Bernard Parenti and Van Der Vliet Oscar, important researchers and philaletelists, welcome to you all.
The Academy Archive Project
July 13th, 2025
At the June-2025 meeting of the Turkish Philatelic Academy, new project proposals were discussed and approved for launch. We are currently working on these projects and, as they reach a certain level of maturity, we will announce them in the coming months and ask for your support.
The first project we are introducing is titled “AKADEMI ARSIV” (Academy Archive). Within the scope of this project, we have decided to make accessible and share the valuable resources owned by our members.
So, what kind of resources are we talking about?
These include short news items from all philatelic journals published in Turkey, newspaper articles, pocket calendars, and documents from the archives of the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey. Also included are personal notes—both brief and detailed—taken by collectors during their research, as well as extensive and unpublished works running into thousands of pages by names such as Asaf Tanrıkulu and Niyazi Önder. In addition, the archive will feature historical correspondence between collectors (for example, the Adolf Passer – S. R. Turner letters), copies of exhibition sheets, stamp promotion leaflets, PTT circulars, and Palmares listings. This list, which is currently just a sample, is expected to expand considerably over time. A dedicated section will be created on our website to host the materials gathered for this archive.
So far, contributions to the “AKADEMI ARSIV” project have come from Mehmet Akan, Selçuk Akar, Timur Kuran, Hakan Arlı, Ziya AÄŸaoÄŸulları, Atadan Tunacı, Emre Utku, Turan Tanyer, Hakan Yılmaz, Arman Arıkan, Devrim Rehber and Kaan Ertem (R.I.P). We are confident that these contributions will grow steadily over time.
We start this project by telling the story of Türkiye's Entry to FIP.
The Academy of Turkish Philately Exhibition Awards
July 10th, 2025
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Phila Korea 2025 World Stamp Exhibition special prize - Göbeklitepe Ceramic Object
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Dubai 2026 World Stamp Exhibition special prize - Tophane Mosque Original Engraving
Collection Magazine Reached its 100th Issue
July 4th, 2025
Collection Magazine, published by our Academy member Åžerif Antepli, has reached its 100th issue. The 100th issue includes articles by our members Muzaffer Arda, DoÄŸan Güral, Åžerif Antepli, Murat Günsur and Ülkü Feyyaz Taktak.
The 100th issue of Collection Magazine, which has been published for 25 years with the slogan “The Magazine of Those Who Carry the Values of the Past to the Future”, has been published...​ Its pages include various sections such as examples of different collections, research on collection culture and history, walks through the objects of museums, exhibition and book introductions, and announcements of special places.
The Collection Club, established under the umbrella of the magazine, has so far organized nearly 30 group exhibitions, panels and symposiums, and conferences at various schools in order to promote and popularize collection culture.
New Publication: Francisc AMBRUȘ – Romania Specialized Catalogue of Revenues Stamps, Vol. 1 – National Issues 1872-1919
June 29th, 2025
The bilingual (Romanian and English) "Romania Specialized Catalogue of Revenues Stamps, Vol. 1 – National Issues (1872-1919)" (ISBN: 978-973-0-06264-9), prepared by our Academy member Francisc AMBRUȘ, a 220-page work in full color, will be available for 50 Euros from private orders at the address: franambrus@yahoo.com
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The catalog is the first in a series of 4 volumes that will appear in the next two years.
FOREWARD
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Francisc Ambrus, philatelist for over 50 years, exhibitor in over 40 exhibitions and participations with 10 different exhibits. Author of several specialized philatelic articles, manager and developer of three philatelic websites, international juror, member of three philatelic unions and recently in two philatelic academies. In the last 20 years, he has opened 12 personal cultural exhibitions or in collaboration with other institutions, and has executed the design and layout for multiple national exhibitions. Totally dedicated to philately to the point of neglecting his family, and in the last 10 years coordinator and executor of a unique project in the world, the museum philatelic section of the Romanian Records Museum. Ultimately, philatelic studies will materialize in written works that must remain a legacy for future generations of collectors.
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​The catalogue attempts to fill the many gaps in fiscal philately, and at the same time, with the help of the monograph combined with the study, it attempts to offer a line in the study and collection of fiscal stamps. It is the first specialized work of its kind, the first in a series of four volumes. The first part from 1872 to 1919 of the Monograph introduces the geopolitical changes that directly influenced the evolution of tax legislation. It is important to know local history because it is closely related to everything that involves taxation. The next volume will be dedicated to the three kings and covers the period 1919-1947, and volume three will cover the communist period and up to the present. All three of these volumes deal only with national revenue stamp issues. Volume four will be much more voluminous and will deal with special national issues, funds. There is already a catalog for local revenue issues and Cinderella published by regretted Mr. Mihai Cojocar. With these books I try to fill the gap in Romanian fiscal philately.
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​This is followed by a brief philatelic guide to tax stamps, the stages of printing, and working with the catalog. Starting from the first issue of fixed fiscal stamps (stamped paper), continuing with postal stationery with fixed fiscal revenue and finally with adhesive mobile stamps. The catalogue begins each chapter with the history of printing, models, proofs, essays, varieties, errors, forgeries, stamps, circulations where it was possible and cataloging on principles more developed than the usual ones. Finally, examples of how to identify the different uses, combinations and variants, and how to organize them in a philatelic exhibit.
Philatelic Exhibition: "From National Struggle to Liberation", "Grand Post Office Sirkeci", "Pera Post Office BeyoÄŸlu"
June 14th - September 1st, 2025 (Historical BeyoÄŸlu Post Office Exhibition Hall)
New Publication: “M. Bülent PAPUÇÇUOÄžLU - Turkish Stamps Specialized Catalogue: Republic of Türkiye 1924-1945”
May 28th, 2025
The bilingual (Turkish and English) "Turkish Stamps Specialized Catalogue: Republic of Türkiye 1924-1945" (ISBN: 978-625-00-2856-8), prepared by our Academy member M. Bülent PAPUÇÇUOÄžLU, a 600-page work in full color, will be available for 100 Euros from the following sales points as of June 3, 2025.
Sample Pages:
Balkanfila Yearbook 2025
May 27th, 2025
Dear Members,
We commenced the day with excellent news.
The Balkan Yearbook will elevate our philatelic activities in this region to another level. Last November, during the Balkanfila Working Group meeting in Thessaloniki, our member Christos Gikas proposed and, with the approval of the national delegates, introduced the publication of a Balkanfila Yearbook in English. Its main aim is to promote Balkan Philately and reach a broader philatelic audience. Today, this Balkanfila Yearbook, comprising nearly 200 pages, is being delivered.
We congratulate the editor of the publication, Christos Gikas, and our members Edip AÄŸaoÄŸulları, Mehmet Akan, Hakan AkçaoÄŸlu, Levent Acar, Vladimir Milić, Erdal Tanıl, George Thomareis, Emre Utku, Serdar Yazgan, and Hakan Yılmaz, who contributed articles to the first yearbook.
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Please click here to access Balkanfila Yearbook 2025...
Zoom Seminar (June 2, 2025 | 20.45 hrs)
M. Bülent PapuççuoÄŸlu - Stamps of the Republic of Türkiye 1924-1945
May 26th, 2025
The presentation of the new 605-page full-color publication titled "Turkish Stamps Specialized Catalogue: Republic of Türkiye 1924-1945" prepared by our Academy member M. Bülent PapuççuoÄŸlu will be held on Monday, June 2, 2025 at 20.45 hours by Ankara Philately Association (ANFÄ°LA) on Zoom. (The link to the seminar will be shared later.)
After EuroPhilEx Birmingham 2025 International Philatelic Exhibition
May 18th, 2025
The International Philately Exhibition, which is held in London every five years, was held for the first time this year in Birmingham, outside London, due to the excessive increase in exhibition costs.
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The exhibition took place between May 7-11, 2025 at pavilion 9 of the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), adjacent to Birmingham Airport.
TFDF appointed Mehmet Akan as the national commissioner of the exhibition. Turhan Turgut took part in the jury members. We thank the TFDF and the exhibition organizing committee for their trust. All philatelists who applied through the TFDF Turkey Commissioner were accepted to the exhibition. In addition to our officials Turhan Turgut and Mehmet Akan, philatelists Tarık Ali Reza, Alan Christopher Mellaart, Atadan Tunacı, Ali Özbek, Kemal Giray and Yakup Nakri also took part in the exhibition.
We would also like to thank Atadan Tunacı for his great help in exhibition customs, assembly and disassembly.
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We congratulate our participants for their awards.​
Our award winning collections are below:
Link for all exhibition results:
https://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/EuroPhilEx_birmingham_2025_Palmares.pdf
The exhibition was held in a beautiful space designed as an exhibition hall with an exhibit of about 1500 panels. In the exhibition hall there was also a fair with postal administrations, stamp dealers, material dealers, associations and working groups. The Jury Room and the Café were connected to the hall. Drinks and food were served throughout the day in the VIP Lounge for commissioners, juries, sponsors and collectors.
PALMARES:
The Palmares reception, dinner and awards ceremony took place on Saturday evening, May 10th in the Grand Ballroom of the Grand Hotel in Birmingham.
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Grand Prix FEPA: Tom Komnaes (Norway), Norwegian Skilling Covers
Grand Prix International: Dr Luís Barreiros (Portugal), Portugal India “Native Problems” 1871-1888
Grand Prix National: Stephen McGill (USA), Britain’s Marvelous Machins
At the Palmares dinner, Peter Suhadolc, President of the European Philatelic Academy and TFA Honorary member, presented a medal to FEPA NEWS, winner of the 2024 European Philatelic Publication Award. FEPA President Bill Hedley received the medal.
FEPA CONGRESS:
The annual FEPA congress was hosted by EuroPhilEx Birmingham 2025 Exhibition on 11 May in a special hall at the NEC Exhibition Center.
​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.
(For details, please click here...)
The Former Vice President Giancarlo Morolli was presented with a plaque for his service on the FEPA Board of Directors since 2009.
New Vice President Lars Engelbrecht
FEPA Board 2025–2027
Lars Jorgensen, Lars Engelbrecht, Bill Hedley, Thomas Hoepfner, Claudio Manzati, Igor Pirc ve Costas Chazapis.​
In addition, within the scope of the special awards for the year 2024, THE FEPA OUTSTANDING PHILATELIC STUDY AND RESEARCH MEDAL (2024) was awarded to Mehmet AKAN for his study titled “Postal Rates of the Republic of Türkiye, 1920-1950”. (Co-authors: Selçuk AKAR, Turhan TURGUT RDP ve Emre UTKU). Mehmet Akan received the award from FEPA President Bill Hedley.​​
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.
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New Members
April 20th, 2025
Welcome new members of the Academy of Turkish Philately.
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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 EriÅŸkin, 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.
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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.
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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.)."
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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.
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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.
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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 AÄžAOÄžULLARI 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.
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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.
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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.
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Our web address: www.filateliakademisi.net
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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”
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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 HAZÄ°NEDAROÄžLU - 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 HAZÄ°NEDAROÄžLU, 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 ErdoÄŸan Åžen, 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,
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We wish you a happy and peaceful new year.
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The Academy of Turkish Philately
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* 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”.