On the 150th Anniversary of the Universal Postal Union: Revisiting Ottoman Empire’s Overlooked Position in Global Postal History

On 9 October 2024, the Universal Postal Union (UPU), recognized as the world’s second-oldest intergovernmental organization, celebrated its 150th anniversary. Its history is rich, multilayered, and marked by unique milestones. As a founding member, the Ottoman Empire occupied a central position in this historical process, playing a decisive role both in the organization of postal services and in shaping humanity’s shared heritage. The bilateral relations between the Ottoman Empire and the UPU, which began with the Bern Congress in 1874 and continued until the proclamation of the Republic, encompassed highly significant phases that have often been overlooked in the literature, with insufficient systematic scholarly attention devoted to them. The scope of this article is limited to an analysis, taking into account the historical significance of postal services, of Western approaches shaped by the attitudes faced and postal realities experienced by the Ottoman Empire at the Bern Congress. Given the international character of the Bern Congress, the study aims to provide a comprehensive background demonstrating how, and to what extent, the salient aspects of the Ottoman Empire’s engagement within the UPU were addressed in external scholarship.