What is the largest lake in Turkey by surface area?

Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey by surface area. It is a saline, soda-rich lake in eastern Turkey, near the borders of Iran and Armenia.

The lake covers about 3,755 square kilometres and reaches a maximum depth of roughly 451 metres. Its water is strongly alkaline, so it supports only a limited range of aquatic life, including the endemic pearl mullet.

Lake Van formed in a tectonic basin that was later blocked by volcanic activity. Mount Nemrut, a nearby dormant volcano, helped shape the region's dramatic landscape.

Lake Tuz is Turkey's second-largest lake by area at certain water levels, but it is much shallower and more seasonally variable. Lake Van is also sometimes confused with Lake Urmia in Iran, another large saline lake in the region.