Which soda lake is Turkey's largest lake by area?

Lake Van is Turkey’s largest lake by area and is a saline soda lake in eastern Anatolia.

The lake occupies a tectonic basin near the Armenian Highlands, between the provinces of Van and Bitlis. It covers about 3,755 square kilometres and has no natural outlet, making it an endorheic lake. Its water is strongly alkaline because dissolved sodium carbonate and other salts accumulate in the closed basin.

Lake Van reaches roughly 119 kilometres across at its widest point and has a maximum depth of about 451 metres. Volcanic activity helped shape its modern drainage: lava flows from Mount Nemrut blocked an earlier outlet, leaving the basin isolated. Several streams, including the Karasu and Bendimahi, now feed it.

The lake is also culturally important. Akdamar Island is home to the tenth-century Cathedral of the Holy Cross, built during the Kingdom of Vaspurakan. Its unusual chemistry and size can cause confusion with Lake Tuz, another famous Turkish salt lake, but Lake Tuz is far smaller and shallower.