Abstract Continental margin-type, ophiolitic and mélange units are exposed throughout central eastern Turkey (e.g. Gürün, Hekimhan and Pınarbaşı areas). These restore as a north-verging Triassic-rifted continental margin that underwent Jurassic–Early Cretaceous passive margin subsidence. Chemically ‘enriched’ basaltic lavas of seamount type are interbedded with and overlain by Middle Jurassic–Early Cretaceous ribbon cherts. Ophiolitic rocks (e.g. Pınarbaşı, Dağlıca, Kuluncak, Hekimhan, Divriği) formed by spreading above a Late Cretaceous northwards-dipping intra-oceanic subduction zone. Emplacement of continental margin units, mélanges and ophiolites onto the East Tauride platform was driven by trench-margin collision during latest Cretaceous. The northern part of the East Tauride neritic carbonate platform detached and overthrust the continent to the south (Malatya Metamorphics) which was deeply underthrust, metamorphosed at least to greenschist facies and exhumed by latest Cretaceous. Collision-related Mid-Eocene southwards thrusting strongly affected the western part of the region (e.g. Pınarbaşı), whereas areas further east (e.g. Darende, Hekimhan, Divriği, Sivas) mainly experienced folding. Taking account of the regional tectonic setting, we infer that the Gürün platform, with its distinctive unbroken up to Lutetian-aged succession, represents a small exotic terrane that was translated from a relatively southerly (‘internal’) part of the Tauride platform (Geyik Dağ), related to strike-slip displacement (syn/post-Eocene to pre-Pliocene). Supplementary material: Two supplementary tables giving the GPS coordinates of the samples of basic intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks that were analyzed during this work are available at http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18569

Abstract Geological information from the Eastern Taurus Mountains, part of the Tethyan (South Neotethyan) suture zone exposed in the Elazığ region, is used here to test existing tectonic hypotheses and to develop a new tectonic model. Five main tectonic stages are identified: (1) Mid-Late Triassic rifting-spreading of Southern Neotethys; (2) Late Cretaceous northward subduction-accretion of ophiolites and arc-related units; (3) Mid-Eocene subduction-related extension; (4) Early-Mid-Miocene collision and southward thrusting over the Arabian Foreland; (6) Plio-Quaternary, post-collisional left-lateral tectonic escape. During the Late Cretaceous ( c. 90 Ma) northward intra-oceanic subduction generated regionally extensive oceanic lithosphere as the İspendere, Kömürhan, Guleman and Killan ophiolites of supra-subduction zone type. A northward-dipping subduction zone was activated along the northern margin of the ocean basin (Keban Platform), followed by accretion of Upper Cretaceous ophiolites in latest Cretaceous time. As subduction continued the accreted ophiolites and overriding northern margin (Keban Platform) were intruded by calc-alkaline plutons, still during latest Cretaceous time. The northern margin was covered by shallow-marine mixed clastic-carbonate sediments in latest Cretaceous-Early Palaeogene time. Northward subduction during the Mid-Eocene was accompanied by extension of the northern continental margin, generating large fault-bounded, extensio nal basins that were infilled with shallow- to deep-water sediments and subduction-influenced volcanic rocks (Maden Group). Thick debris flows (‘olistostromes’) accumulated along the oceanward edge of the active margin. The partly assembled allochthon finally collided with the Arabian continental margin to the south during Early-Mid-Miocene time in response to oblique convergence; the entire thrust stack was then emplaced southwards over the downflexed Arabian Foreland. Left-lateral strike-slip (tectonic escape) along the East Anatolian Fault Zone ensued.