|
On 27 July, 1974
the Turkish Cypriot Postal Administration requested new postmarks for 146
villages from PTT of Turkey. The Turkish Republic Post Office agreed to make the
new hand stamps in their workshops as a gift to Turkish Cypriot Postal
Administration.
The new hand stamps were the type used in Turkey
dated in Arabic and Roman numerals. The Director of Posts Mr Hasan Fedai,
and his assistant Mr Aysel Erduran, went from village to village teaching
the agents how to use the new head stamps. The issue of the new head stamps was
very well organised with advance publicity. Also to lessen the burden, both of
collectors and on the administration, it was decided that the postmarks would be
issued in three stages, Lefkosa (Nicosia) district was issued on 1 August,
Magusa (Famagusta) district on 8 August, and Kyrenia (Girne) district on 15
August.
Two villages in Famagusta and some villages in
Kyrenia were shown as being under Nicosia, and two villages of Nicosia have been
shown under Lefke. Apparently this indicates the destination of the village post
not the administration district. In Famagusta, half of the villages were shown
as Magusa, and the other half as Gazi Magusa, a title conferred on the town in
recognition of the bravery of its inhabitants during the 1974 war.
However, it seems that some of the
head stamps were
prepared before the honour had been bestowed on the town. The village of Pile (Pyla) is unique; this village has two
head stamps and two agencies, each
controlled by their own administration (Greek and Turkish).
|
