The Turkish Van or simply just Van, is a recognized cat breed that was created of the cats native to

the alpine Lake Van region in Eastern Anatolia (former named Western Armenia), currently modern
Turkey. The cats of this type are named in Turkish Van Kedisi (although it is used to refer solely to
the all-white form), in Armenian Vana Katu (Armenian: վանա կատու) and in Kurdish (Pisîka Wanê).
Originally called in the West the Turkish Cat. The name was changed in 1979 in the U.S. (1985 in
the U.K.) to Turkish Van to better distance the breed from the Turkish Angora cat which had its
origins around Ankara, in central Turkey. Traditionally, in the cat fancy, Turkish Vans are recognized
as patterned cats with color restricted to the head and tail with the body of the cat being white.
However, in Turkey, the cat is recognised in an all white form as well as the form with red patterning
and a "fox tail", and with blue eyes, amber eyes, or one eye of each colour (Heterochromia).