The Turkish Angora cat is associated with Ankara, the modern Turkish city formerly called Angora.
The breed takes its name from Ankara and the surrounding region. “Angora” was the historical form used in English for the city, so Turkish Angora means an Angora cat from Turkey. The breed is especially associated with a long, silky coat and an elegant, fine-boned body.
White Turkish Angoras became particularly famous, although the breed can occur in multiple colors and patterns. Some white individuals have odd-colored eyes, with one blue eye and one amber or green eye. White cats with blue eyes can also have congenital deafness, a trait linked to particular pigmentation genetics rather than unique to this breed.
The Ankara Zoo established a breeding program for white Angora cats in the 20th century. Turkish Angoras were exported to Europe and North America, where organized breeding helped establish them as a recognized pedigree breed. Their history is distinct from that of the Turkish Van, another Turkish breed.