The Turkish Van cat has a pure white coat with reddish brown or cream symmetrical markings. The bases of the ears are separated by white flame patterns. The patterns arranged in this way are called the "Brahma Lake" pattern. The main colors are: red with white, cream with white. There are other colors that are not hybrids: Creamy yellow cats, with white facial spots that go vertically downward on the face and extend past the nose, dividing the color on the head into two halves.

The color on the head is limited to just above the eyes and does not extend beyond the ears and heels. The ears themselves are white with a yellowish pink tinge inside the ears, and the tail is solid creamy yellow and may extend slightly up the back. For reddish-brown cats, the reddish-brown hair area on the head is limited to just above the eyes and does not extend behind the ears. The nose is white, the vertical white facial spots divide the reddish-brown head into two halves, and the tail is also reddish-brown.