Turkey – Ottoman Empire issues

1865-1908 issues
Turkey issued its first stamps in 1863. These featured the tughra/emblem of Sultan Abdulaziz. Beginning in 1865, a star and crescent design was issued. The basic design with denomination was printed in one color, the inscriptions printed in black. The design scheme would be used in following issues with different inscriptions. Those inscriptions may not match exactly due to missing or broken small characters or extra ink flecks. Be aware that brown/bister stamps including ones with brown borders are postage due stamps.  File:Turkey first 1 pa.jpg|1863 1pi value. File:Turkey first 2pa.jpg|2pi 2pi value. File:Turkey 1pi 1865.jpg|1865 1pi definitive. File:Turkey 20pa inscrip 2.jpg|1867 20pa value. File:Turkey 10pa lilac small inscr.jpg|1869 10pa value. File:Turkey 4th inscr 1pi.jpg|1874 1pi value. File:Turkey long ovpt surch.jpg|1876 5pi surcharge. File:Turkey 1p orange long inscr.jpg|1876 1pi arabic text only. File:Turkey 20pa bicolor.jpg|1876 20pa bicolor. File:Turkey 20p small tughra.jpg|1892 20pa value. File:Turkey 1901 20pa domestic.jpg|1901 20pa for domestic mail. File:Turkey 1pi central tughra.jpg|1901 1pi for international mail. File:Turkey 20 pa large burst.jpg|1905 20pa value. File:Turkey 1906 discount ovpt.jpg|1906 1pi discount overprint.
 * The first issue was in 3 printings. The first were on thin tissue-like paper, the second on surfaced paper, the last on "normal" surface-colored paper. All normally had a colored band along the bottom. Stamps on red brown paper are postage dues. for those, see: Turkey – Ottoman Empire postage dues.
 * The 1865 issue would have the inscription Turkey 1 inscr.png at the top.
 * For the 1867 issue, the top inscription was changed to a smaller Turkey 2 inscrip.png. Only the 2pi and 5pi values were ever issued.
 * In 1869, the basic stamp colors were changed with top inscriptions also changed again to Turkey inscr 3.png. There are several different perfs including an uneven pin perf. Compare with the 1874 issue.
 * In 1874, 3 values were issued with a top inscription of Turkey 4 inscrip.png, similar to the above except simplified; it has only the two dots on left side of the inscription – compare with the 1869 inscription. The left inscription is also in a slightly different form from the earlier issue. The 10pa is in 3 different perfs.
 * In 1876, the top inscription became Turkey inscr 5.png, with surcharges restating the denomination in arabic and roman letters in the center.
 * Later in 1876, an issue was released without the numeral and roman letters in the centers. In 1881, a 20pa gray and 2pi salmon were issued.
 * In September 1876, a new style of definitive in two colors inscribed EMP: OTTOMAN was released under Sultan Abdulhamid II. Stamps in black only are postage dues. Issues in new colors were issued in 1880-84, 1884-86, 1886, 1888, and 1890.
 * In 1892-98, larger designs with ams and tughra of Adbulhamid II were released. Values are given in French. In 1897, the 10pa value was surcharged 5pa in red.
 * 1901 saw a return to smaller stamps, with separate design for domestic and international mail. The only identifier is once again the tughra of Abdulhamid II (domestic mail: circular frame, international: oval frame).
 * In 1905, a new design was released also with the sultan's tughra.
 * In 1906, stamps were sold to merchants at a discount and overprinted in blue or carmine.
 * In 1908, another new design followed with upright numerals and a slightly larger tughra.



1909-16 issues
Mehmed V became sultan in 1909.  File:Turkey 10pi rays.jpg|1909 10pi definitive. File:Turkey Pristina ovpt.jpg|1911 1pi Pristina. File:Turkey 10pa Salonique.jpg|1911 10pa Salonique. File:Turkey 1911 visit to Damascus.jpg File:Turkey building.jpg|1913 2pa general post office. File:Turkey 1913 Adrianople.jpg|1913 10pa Adrianople. File:Turkey 1914 pict 20pa.jpg|1914 20pa castle on the Bosporus. File:Turkey 1 3 4 pictorial.png|1914 1¾pi Suleiman fountains. File:Turkey 25pi pictorial.jpg|1914 Mosque of Suleiman. File:Turkey 1914 pictorial with star.jpg|1914 10pa definitive with red star for international mail. File:Turkey 7th anniv const.jpg|1914 File:Turkey old GPO.jpg|1916 20pa General post office. File:Turkey Sinai occup.jpg|1916 2½pi 1916 National Fête. File:Turkey abolition.jpg|1916 10pi Abolition of the Capitulations. File:Turkey 50 on 200.jpg|1915 25pi on 200pi surcharge. File:Tukey 6pt star ovpt.jpg File:Turkey 10pa 6pt star ovpt.jpg File:Turkey 5pa 6pt star ovpt.jpg File:Turkey 6ptstar discount.jpg File:Turkey 2.5pi 5pt star ovpt.jpg File:Turkey lg format 5pt star.jpg File:Turkey 5ptstar disc.png File:Turkey 5star disc.png 
 * That year, the first issue with his tughra was released.
 * This was followed by 3 values with discount overprints.
 * In 1911, earlier definitives from 1901 and 1905 were overprinted with "1329" for Mehmed V's visit to Macedonia. There are overprinted sets for the cities visited: Astir, Monastir, Pristina, Solonique and Uskub.
 * In 1913, definitives with a view of the Constantinople general post office were issued.
 * Several values of these were also overprinted for sale at discount.
 * In 1913, and issue for the capture of Adrianople was released.
 * In 1914, a new engraved definitive series was issued, with some values in two colors.
 * Four of those values were overprinted with a small red star for international mail.
 * A 1 (piaster) surcharge on the 1½pi Adrianople was released in 1914. Do not confuse the issue surcharged as postage dues with this single stamp issue.
 * Overprints on seven of the definitives were issued for the Abolition of the Capitulations (1330). This also marked the end of foreign post offices in the Ottoman Empire.
 * 1915 saw the creation of 10pi and 25pi surcharges on 1914 high values.
 * In 1915, old issues back to 1892 up to 1908 were re-released, with red or black overprints of a six-pointed red star and crescent with "1331" inside.
 * At the same time, old issues from 1908 to 1913 were also re-released with the same overprint but overprinted again as discounted stamps.
 * In 1916, various values from 1901-13 were overprinted commemorating the occupation of the Sinai.
 * Also in 1916, large format stamps showing the General Post Office were released to commemorate the 50th anniversary of postal service.
 * Older issues were overprinted for the National Fête with a small "1332" date.
 * Also in 1916, more old issues were dragged out of the vaults and re-released with overprints of a five-pointed star and crescent with "1332" inside. These were again issues from 1892 to 1908.
 * Overprinted discount stamps were also issued again, now on five-star and crescent overprints. These were on various issues from 1908 to 1916.
 * In 1916, a set of three values showing Dolmabahce Palace and Mehmed V was released.

1917-22 issues

 * In 1917-18, new definitive designs were released, some values issued in more than one color.

 File:Turkey Orta Koy.jpg File:Turkey Mohammed V 50pi.jpg|1918 50pi value. File:Turkey soldier leaving.jpg|1917 10pa on 20pa semipostal. File:Turkey trenches surch.jpg|1917 5pa on 1pi soldiers in the trenches. 