Postal History
Ankara Government
Foreign Post Offices
Postal History
Prephilatelic Period
1. Introduction
This Data Privacy Policy explains how Turkish Postal History (operating as www.TurkishPostalHistory.com (“we”, “our”, “us”)) collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data. We are committed to safeguarding your privacy and complying with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (“GDPR”) and other applicable data protection laws.
By using our website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this policy.
2. Data Controller
The data controller responsible for your personal data is:
Turkish Postal History
Attn: Data Privacy Officer
Email:
Website: www.TurkishPostalHistory.com
3. Categories of Data Collected
Because our website does not offer user registration, we collect only limited personal data:
Identity Data
Name and email address voluntarily provided through the Contact Us form.
Technical & Usage Data
IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referral sources, pages visited, and time spent on the site.
Communication Data
Content of messages submitted through the Contact Us form, including requests for permission to use archival images, scans, or descriptions.
We do not collect payment information, account credentials, or demographic data.
4. Legal Basis for Processing
We process personal data only when a lawful basis under GDPR applies:
- Consent: When you voluntarily submit your name, email, or message through the Contact Us form.
- Legitimate Interests: To protect our intellectual property, maintain website security, and respond to inquiries.
- Legal Obligation: To comply with applicable laws or respond to lawful requests.
We do not rely on contractual necessity because the website does not provide account-based services.
5. Purpose of Processing
Personal data is used for:
- Responding to inquiries submitted through the Contact Us form.
- Reviewing and responding to requests for permission to use archival content.
- Managing intellectual property permissions.
- Maintaining website functionality, analytics, and security.
- Communicating with users regarding approved uses of content.
We do not use personal data for marketing, newsletters, or automated decision-making.
6. Data Retention
We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes stated above or as required by law. Messages and permission requests may be retained for documentation and rights-management purposes. When data is no longer needed, it will be securely deleted or anonymized.
7. Data Sharing and Transfers
- We do not sell or rent personal data.
- Data may be shared with trusted service providers (hosting, IT security, email delivery) under strict confidentiality agreements.
- International Transfers: If data is stored or processed outside the EU/EEA (e.g., on servers located in the USA), we use Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or equivalent safeguards to ensure GDPR-compliant protection.
We do not share personal data with advertisers, analytics brokers, or social media platforms.
8. Your Rights Under GDPR
You have the following rights:
- Access: Request a copy of your personal data.
- Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”): Request deletion of your data.
- Restriction: Limit how your data is processed.
- Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
- Objection: Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
- Withdraw Consent: At any time, without affecting prior lawful processing.
- Lodge a Complaint: You may file a complaint with a Data Protection Authority (DPA).
To exercise these rights, contact:
9. Security Measures
We implement technical and organizational measures to protect personal data, including:
- SSL/TLS encryption (HTTPS) for all data transmitted through the website.
- Secure hosting and server-level protections.
- Access controls to prevent unauthorized access.
- Regular monitoring for security vulnerabilities.
10. Cookies
We use essential cookies required for the website to function properly. With your consent, we may also use analytics cookies to improve user experience and understand website traffic. You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us at
We do not use advertising cookies or tracking cookies for marketing purposes.
11. Updates to This Policy
We may update this Data Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law or our practices. The latest version will always be available on our website.
12. Contact Information
For questions or concerns regarding this Data Privacy Policy, please contact:
Data Privacy Officer — Turkish Postal History
Email:
Copyright Notice and Permitted Use of Content
This website and its curated archival content, including original scans, descriptions, research notes, cataloging data, and digital restorations prepared by Uzay Togay, are protected under applicable copyright and intellectual property laws. Certain postcards, prints, maps, and historical materials displayed here are reproduced with permission from their respective owners or are part of the public domain. Public‑domain items and contributed materials remain the property of their original rights holders.
Digital enhancements, metadata, organization, and presentation of archival items constitute original work and are likewise protected. Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution, scraping, or commercial use of any protected content, including uploading images or scans to stock platforms, resale sites, or AI‑training datasets, is strictly prohibited without prior written consent.
Request for Permission
If you wish to use any article, image, scan, description, or digital restoration contained on this site, please contact me and provide the following information:
- Name of the person/entity requesting use of the content
- Purpose for which the content will be used
- Whether the content will be used for public or private purposes
- Duration of intended use
- Format or medium in which the content will appear (e.g., print, digital, social media, broadcast)
Permitted Use
I am pleased to offer articles, images, scans, and curated archival content for uses approved in advance. If permission is granted, please provide credit as follows::
Articles/Images/Descriptions provided by Turkish Postal History/Uzay Togay (www.TurkishPostalHistory.com)
Additional credit may be required for contributed materials or items reproduced with permission from their respective owners.
Additional Terms
- Non-Transferability: Permission is granted only to the requesting party and may not be transferred, sublicensed, or assigned.
- Commercial Use: Any commercial use of the content (including advertising, resale, or promotional purposes) requires explicit written authorization and may be subject to licensing fees.
- No Alteration: Content may not be altered, cropped, edited, color‑corrected, digitally restored, or combined with other works without prior written approval.
- Underlying Artifacts: Public‑domain stamps, covers, maps, and historical items displayed on this site do not grant permission to reuse the digital scans, descriptions, or metadata created by Uzay Togay.
- Digital Enhancements: Digital restorations, high‑resolution scans, research notes, cataloging data, and metadata constitute original work and are protected even when the underlying artifact is in the public domain.
- AI / Dataset Restrictions: Content may not be used for training AI models, image datasets, or automated scraping systems without explicit written consent.
- Revocation of Permission: Permission may be revoked at any time if content is used inconsistently with the approved request or in violation of applicable laws.
- No Endorsement: Use of the content does not imply endorsement, sponsorship, or affiliation unless expressly stated in writing.
- Legal Remedies: Unauthorized use may result in civil and/or criminal liability under applicable intellectual property laws.
An international community documenting the postal history of the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey.


