The Lake Van Monster, (Turkish: Van Gölü Canavarı) is a legendary creature that allegedly lives in Turkey.
The Lake Van Monster was not reported until 1995 in Lake Van, a large alkaline lake in Eastern Turkey. There are now more than 1,000 people claiming to have witnessed the beast which is reported to measure around fifteen meters long with spikes on its back and appears similar to a Plesiosaur or Ichthyosaurus. Researches showed creature first mentioned on Saadet newspaper's (a newspaper published at Istanbul at the time) 29 April 1889 issue, says that the creature dragged a man into lake while he was doing wudu. Following these reports the Turkish government sent an official scientific survey group to the lake who failed to spot the creature.
A 4-meter high statue based on reported sightings has been erected to its honor in Van, Turkey.In 1997 a local man, Unal Kozak, a teaching assistant at Van University, captured the creature on video which was sent for analysis. He has written a book about the monster. Yet his video is under constant criticism, with questions like why it never pans left, possibly because of a boat that may have carried the creature. Or why the monster only goes straight, instead of curving through the water. Even criticism as to why the breathing is not in and out, but a continuous release, much like the effects of an air hose.
Skeptics point out that the region would benefit from tourist revenue and a hoax might attract visitors.