TURKISH REP.OF NORTHERN CYPRUS ( Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti )

Northern Cyprus (Turkish: Kuzey Kıbrıs), officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC; Turkish: Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti, KKTC), is a de facto sovereign state that comprises the north eastern portion of the island of Cyprus. Recognised only by Turkey, Northern Cyprus is considered by the international community to be part of the Republic of Cyprus.

Northern Cyprus extends from the tip of the Karpass Peninsula in the northeast to Morphou Bay, Cape Kormakitis and its westernmost point, the Kokkina exclave in the west. Its southernmost point is the village of Louroujina. A buffer zone under the control of the United Nations stretches between Northern Cyprus and the rest of the island and divides Nicosia, the island's largest city and capital of both sides. Northern Cyprus has an area of 3,355 square kilometres (1,295 sq mi), which amounts to around a third of the island. 75 kilometres (47 mi) to the north of Northern Cyprus lies Turkey with Syria lying 97 kilometres (60.3 mi) to the east.

International telephone calls are routed via a Turkish dialling code (+90 392) as Northern Cyprus has neither its own country code nor official ITU prefix. Similarly with the internet Northern Cyprus has no top level domain of its own and is under the Turkish second-level domain .nc.tr. Items of mail must be addressed 'via Mersin 10, TURKEY' as the Universal Postal Union does not recognise Northern Cyprus as a separate entity. Amateur radio operators sometimes use callsigns beginning with "1B", but these have no standing for awards or other operating credit.

Northern Cyprus is not a member of the Universal Postal Union. International mail for Northern Cyprus travels via Turkey. The first stamps of Northern Cyprus were issued on 8 April 1970 but were valid only for local services in the North. In October 1973 stamps were issued to mark the 50th anniversary of the Turkish Republic and these were used for international mail from 27 July 1974. Turkish Cypriots first issued revenue stamps in 1962 as part of Cyprus; after 1983 of the UDI of Northern Cyprus, the country has continued to issue the stamps to this day.

Registered Airmail cover from Northern Cyprus. This is a disputed area, so a little difficult to get covers from there. I had received two more covers before from a Turkish Friend Filiz, but it was not in my own format. They issue limited stamps but most of them are attractive. The international mails handled by Turkey via Mersin port, so the letters with TRNC stamps travelling worldwide without objections.