Ophiolite emplacement and the evolution of the Taurus suture zone, southeastern Turkey

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Abstract
The interior of the southeastern Taurus Mountains of Turkey is occupied by an extensive area of metamorphic rocks known as the Bitlis Massif, previously regarded as pre-Permian in age. An ophiolitic melange occurs within the Bitlis Massif, and detailed mapping showed that the melange can be subdivided and an internal structure recognized. It contains components of Late Cretaceous age [Cherts were too recrystallized for identification of Radiolaria, but a tentative identification of Dictyomitra from the Bitlis area, 20 km to the east (Boray, 1973), makes it reasonable to suppose a Late Cretaceous age.] some of which have metamorphosed, indicating an Alpine metamorphic event. The Bitlis Massif is probably a composite structural entity consisting of a northern area of pre-Permian metamorphic rocks and a southern zone of Alpine rocks that have undergone high-pressure-low-temperature metamorphism. The Bitlis Massif is thrust southward over an ophiolite-flysch complex, which is also thrust southward over sedimentary rocks of the Arabian foreland. The ophiolite-flysch complex is here divided into 3 zones; 1 is an ophiolitic-wildflysch zone correlated with ophiolitic gravity slides occurring further west in the southeastern Taurus Mountains. In the tentative plate-tectonic model for the evolution of a section of the southeastern Taurus Mountains presented, 2 episodes of ophiolite emplacement are recognized. The ophiolitic-wildflysch may represent trench melanges that were not subducted but were thrust out of the trench zone because of uplift associated with the final phase (Late Cretaceous) a subduction. The metamorphozed ophiolitic melange may represent successfully subducted melange emplaced during the final phase (Miocene) a continental collision.

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