Cats have been an intrinsic part of Turkish culture since the arrival of the Ottomans in Istanbul as caring for animals was considered as important as respecting the words of the Quran. Since then, Turkey’s cat population has flourished and many have gained national and sometimes international fame for a variety of reasons. In honor of Aug. 8, International Cat Day, here’s a look at 10 Turkish cats that stole hearts and headlines in the country.
Gli poses for a picture in the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, Istanbul, Türkiye.
The resident of perhaps the most opulent historical site Istanbul has to offer, Gli spent her years living in the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque and soon grew a following. Gli lived a full life before passing away at the age of 16 in 2020, having met and been pet by the likes of U.S. President Barrack Obama.
Then-U.S. President Barrack Obama pets Gli on a visit to the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque accompanied by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Named after the mythological king of Phrygia, Midas was born with two sets of ears and a defective jaw due to a genetic mutation, but this has not stopped the Turkish cat from becoming an internet sensation with over 336,000 followers on social media.
Midas is seen in the capital Ankara, Türkiye.
Mia the Van cat, a registered national breed in the country, was crowned winner of this year's "Van Cat Beauty Contest" in the eponymous province. Known for their different colored eyes and typically snow-white fur, Mia wowed judges at the competition as a perfect example of her breed. Mia later made headlines again when she gave birth to 2022's first Van kittens.
Mia poses with her medal in Van, Türkiye, March 30, 2022.
Nokta rose to notoriety after tricking gullible shoppers into buying treats multiple times a day with its Oscar-worthy performance. Feining hunger pains, the cat sits by the pet food aisle in a shop every day waiting to pull one over on passersby.
Nokta is seen sitting by the pet food aisle in a cosmetics shop in Kadıköy, Istanbul, Türkiye, Oct. 5, 2021.
Impressed by its ability to fend off dogs and men, a mischievous cat named Bıcır was taken on as a guard cat by a Turkish supermarket chain in the Bayrampaşa district of Istanbul in 2019. The mischievous cat became a social media hit after a video of it bullying a passerby on the street went viral and soon it was offered a permanent position at the supermarket. It was later established that the cat was pregnant and likely hormonal.
Bıcır stands by her guard booth outside the supermarket in Bayrampaşa, Istanbul, Türkiye.
The photograph of 83-year-old Ali Meşe clutching his cat Sarıkız in tears after he accidentally caused an explosion while trying to light his heating stove caused a deep reaction in 2018 in Türkiye and the world. CNN shared a still image captured by Anadolu Agency (AA) while a video posted by talk show host Ellen Degeneres was watched almost 10 million times.
Ali Meşe clutches Sarıkız as his house burns down in the western province of Bolu.
Yeşim the cat became world-famous four years ago when videos of her approaching a Turkish butcher like a customer and receiving scraps for free went viral. Although the stray cat passed away three years ago, butcher Ikram Korkmazer keeps her memory alive by continuing to feed local animals from his shop in Manisa, Türkiye.
Ikram Korkmazer feeds Yeşim at his shop in Manisa, western Türkiye, March 14, 2022.
In this case it wasn't one cat that stole the show but an imam in northwestern Türkiye's kindness and hospitality. Hüseyin Koçak, assigned to a mosque in Kırklareli province’s Ahmetçe village six years ago, took in a litter of motherless kittens he found trembling in the courtyard one winter. The cats now call the mosque their winter home and are cared for by the locals.
Hüseyin Koçak sits with three of the kittens he took in at the mosque in northwestern Türkiye, Nov. 25, 2021.
Lolipop the calico cat joined the crew of an Istanbul ship at birth and has lived aboard ever since. Lolipop is well-traveled and has seen the Black Sea provinces of Trabzon and Zonguldak, as well as the western province of Tekirdağ among many other regions. “He is our mate, friend. Thanks to him we do not get bored on the ship. We spend the day playing with it,” said Chief Officer Mahsun Arslan.
Lolipop prowls around the vessel she calls home in Istanbul, Türkiye.
Tombili (meaning "chubby one") rose to stardom thanks to a photograph of her nonchalantly reclining on the pavement in the Kadıköy neighborhood of Istanbul. Tombili passed away in 2016 and a statue was erected of the feline in her famous pose later that year. At one point the statue was briefly stolen, prompting international alarm and messages of concern from the Russian Embassy.
The statue of Tombili is seen in Kadıköy, Istanbul, Türkiye.
