Popular for its friendly demeanor, silk fur and mismatched-colored eyes, the breed of Turkish Van cat has successfully grown in 2016 thanks to initiatives by a research center housed in Yüzüncü Yıl University (YYÜ) in the eastern Van province.

Last year, 120 Turkish Van cats were born and there is currently no alarming extinction risk for the cat breed, which is a rare one. The research center is home to 350 Turkish Van cats and is continuously working to preserve the breed after its rarity became noticed in 1992.

The research center opted for the reproduction of cats through a selected group of female cats with better breed quality. Professor Abdullah Kaya of the YYÜ, also the research center manager, said that each female cat gave birth to 20 felines. With better reproduction techniques, they achieved a higher number of baby cats last year.

Around 16 of the cats at the center have the same color eyes, as more Turkish Van cats are born with a mismatched eye color.

Students at YYÜ are regular visitors at the research center as they play with cats to have some fun. During his visit to the center, Serhat Sarı, a student at YYÜ said, "I also look after a Turkish Van cat at home. They are cleaner and friendlier than other cat breeds."