Wartime fortunes can lead to overprints on rather incongruous stamps. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.
The stamp today is very attractive. It was first an Ottoman Turk issue celebrating 50 years of Ottoman postage stamps. It shows the early post office building in Constantinople. When the Turk post offices in Cilicia were captured by the French the stock of Turkish stamps was repurposed and overstampted reflecting the French occupation. The Ottomans had carried out a very deadly genocide against Armenian Christians and a goal of the French occupation was to allow some of the Armenian survivors return home. One can imagine the desperate letters of refugees in the area trying to keep in touch with now far away family. How incongruous it must have been sending those letters using stamps designed to celebrate Ottoman postal heritage.
Todays stamp is issue A41, a 20 Para stamp originally issued in Turkey in 1916 and overstamped in 1919 to reflect the French occupation of the Turkish region of Cilicia. The original Turkish issue had five stamps in various denominations. Only the 20 Para stamp of this issue was overprinted by Cilicia. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth $4 whether mint or used. An inverted overprint would double the value. The regular unoverprinted Turkish version of the stamp is worth $1.
Cilicia is on the southeast coast or Asia minor near the Syrian border. It was the home of an independent Armenian empire into late Byzantine times. The area was absorbed by the Ottomans but still home to many Armenians into the early 20th century. The Christian Armenians, with some reason, were viewed as disloyal to the Ottoman Empire and during World War I it was decided to force them out. Their property was seized and all were marched out toward an unwelcoming Syria. The Armenian population in Turkey dropped 80 percent and many died.
Toward the end of the military campaigns the region of Cilicia fell into French military hands. Armenians hoped for an autonomous region and plans were made to move 170, 000 Armenians back to the area. At the end of the war Ottoman higher ups fled Turkey to avoid justice for their crimes. Cilicia did not last long with the French returning it to Turkey in 1923 in exchange for Turkish recognition of their claims to Syria and Lebanon.
The Armenians were able to get revenge on who they viewed as Ottoman war criminals. The soon to be Soviet republic of Armenia started Operation Nemesis named after the Greek goddess of divine retribution. Over the next few years Armenians were sent to Berlin and Rome where many of the Ottomans were now living. After assassinating the target Turk they were to turn themselves over readily to the police. Their trials were then used to make the Armenians case, Many of the assassins were acquitted even though there was no question of their guilt. There were 7 assassinations including the Ottoman Pasha that originally ordered the Armenians into exile.
Well, my drink is empty and I will pour another not to toast all the violent politics but the stamps original purpose of celebrating Ottoman postal heritage. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.