Karst Regions of Turkey

According to Eroskay and Günay (1979), four karst regions can be differentiated in Turkey Taurus region, Central Anatolia region Southern Anatolia region, and Northwest Anatolia and Thrace region.

TAURUS REGION: This is the most important and largest karst region in Turkey. Taurus mountain ridges can be identified as the Alp's extension in Anatolia. It begins at the Aegean coast, continues through northeast of the Mediterranean sea to Iran and over Eastern Anatolia. In this region between the Mediterranean coast and central Anatolia the width of carbonate units is mostly 200 km along the Taurus mountains, and the peaks of the sharp limestone hills are as high as 2500-3000 meters. The stratigraphy of the region contains different units from Cambrian to recent age. There are some parotocton metamorphits. Mesozoic limestones and dolomites occur in over 1000 m. thick layers. The evolution of the ophiolitic melange in the Late Cretaceous exists as an impervious base or cover according to the stratigraphical and structural position of the carbonate units. Important caves mostly exist along these contact lines.

CENTRAL ANATOLIA REGION: Central Anatolian region, which is located in the north of Taurus belt, seems a typical closed basin, morphologically bounded with high mountains. The average elevation is around 1200 m. The recrystallized hard limestones of Jurassic and Crataceous age, which bounded the basin on the south and west, are the extension of Taurus. The ophiolite settlement in the late Crataceous overlies the older carbonate units. The Neogene units, which cover large areas in the basin, are mostly on ophiolitic basement. Sometimes they are in contact with older limestones. Neogene limestone is locally called as Obruk limestone. The collapsed dolines in the basin which are called obruk, are the typical karst features.

SOUTHEAST ANATOLIA REGION: Considering the regional geology at the south of the Taurus belt, marginal folds and stable platforms units have been differentiated. In the marginal folds belt, karst has been developed mostly in the Midyat limestone of Eocen age. Gercüs or older impervious units underlie the Midyat limestone, as Korudag uplift. Sometimes carbonates of Mardin group of Cretaceous age crop out. Stable platform units are located at the south of marginal folds. It is the typical plateau-shaped smooth area of southeast Anatolia. In these region, large caves like the Taurus belt are rare.

NORTHWEST ANATOLIA AND THRACE REGION : In these region, limestone blocks covers limited areas when compared with other regions. In the Thrace part, Eocen limestone which lies along the southern margin of Istranca massif, Aegean part, Permian- Mesozoic limestones which overlie the older metamorphic massifs and Western Black Sea part Jurassic-Cretaceous flysch formations are important karstic units.

Reference: Gunay - Eroskay (1979).