Abstract: Natural sodium carbonate minerals (soda minerals) are exploited commercially either by mining beds of buried fossil trona depositsformed in Tertiary playa-lake sediments or by extraction from the brines of recent alkaline lakes and play as. The known fossil deposits of theworld are located within Green River Formation, Wyoming (U.S.A), Hırka Formation, Beypazarı (Turkey) and Wulidui Formation, Wu cheng(Chine). Soda-rich recent alkaline lakes, and playas are as follows, Searles Lake (U.S.A), Lake Magadi (Kenya), San Critobal Ecatepec Playa(Mexico), Sowa Pan Playa (Botswana) and as future potential, Van Lake (Turkey).In general, fossil soda deposits and recent soda playa-lakes were formed or are presently forming by evaporation within intercontinentalbasins, in arid or semi-arid areas, fed partly, by surfaca streams and partly by thermal springs, and surrounded by abundant Na-rich volcanicand magmatic rocks. Soda deposits alternate generally with shale and bituminous shale beds. Soda extraction from the deeper lakes, such asVan Lake, is not presently economical, as soda consantration has not yet reached to sufficient level of concentration .Soda and soda ash are used as a source ofNajO in glass manufacture, in the production of various sodium chemicals, in water treatment,paper production, iron desulfurization, and many other uses. Although, production from brines and fossil trona deposits is becoming increasingly important, the bulk of the world`s soda ash is produced synthetically by some 60 solvay plants in more than 40 countries. Soda productionfrom natural deposits are mainly limited to U.S.A., Mexico and Kenya. Major soda producers by solvay plants are mainly U.S.S.R., UK, WestGermany, France, Chine, Bulgaria, and Japan.Annual soda production of the world is approximately 30 million tons, whereas Mersin Soda Industry in Turkey produces annualy, approximately 300.000 tons soda ash by solvay plant. It must be contributed to Turkey`s annual soda ash capacity by production from the Beypazarınatural deposit in the nearest future.