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Caves, Speleological Potential of Turkey
 About
one third of Turkey is underlain by carbonate rocks. The
intense karstification is spread almost all over Turkey.
It is found particularly in the regions of the Taurus Mountain
Range, in Northwest Anatolia, in Konya closed basin and
in Southeastern Anatolia. Karstification is present both
at high altitudes (over 2000 m.) and also it is known to
exist at elevations below the sea level, such as Ovacik
submarine springs, Kas - Kalkan submarine springs and the
Mediterranean region coastal springs.
Turkey is thoroughly located in the Mediterranean sector
of the Alpine orogenic belt. The Alpine orogeny and the
following epirogenic movements in Turkey have been
important factors in karstification.
According to Eroskay and Gьnay (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 Jurrasic 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. Gercьs 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.
Extracted from Gьnay - Eroskay (1979).
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