Natural Resource Potential of Turkey and MTA Activities
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M. Emrah AYAZ, 2Mustafa Kemal REVAN
1
Central Anatolia Branch,General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA),
Sivas, Turkey (memrahayaz@hotmail.com)
2
Department of Mineral Research and Exploration, General Directorate of Mineral Research
and Exploration (MTA), Ankara, Turkey (kemalrevan@gmail.com)
The paleo-tectonic evolution of the Anatolia Peninsula commenced with the progressive
amalgamation of Gondwana and Laurasia continents to form the super-continent of Pangea during
the Permian and Triassic times. The neotectonic features of Anatolia were shaped in Neogene as a
result of compressional tectonic regime between Arabian platform and Eurasian plate. Metallogeny
in Turkey is mainly a result of the development of the Tethyan belt within the Alpine-Himalayan
orogenic system that formed from the Jurassic-Cretaceous to the present time. Crystalline basement
is characterized by metamorphic massif, eg., the Strandja and Kazdağ Massifs in northwestern
Turkey, The menderes Massif in western Turkey, Kırşehir Massif in central Turkey, and the Bitlis and
Poturge Massifs in southeastern Turkey. The wide variety of geological and tectonic settings in
Turkey makes the country favorable for a wide spectrum of mineral deposits associated with
subduction, collision, post-collision, and rifting processes.
Anatolia has long been the focus of geo-petrologic studies and has a history of exploration and
exploitation of metals and other mineral commodities dating back to B.C., but only during the past
three decades has the metal endowment of the country been appreciated. Recently, country has
become a world-class exploration frontier, especially for gold. The counry has the largest prospective
land area in Europe, approx 780,000 km2. Turkey is an underexplored country with a large and
diverse mineral resource base, as well as being an underexplored portion of the Tethyan
metallogenic belt. Although there are numerous mineral deposits in Turkey, most of them are of
modest size by world standarts, with the exception of industrial minerals.
The mineral industry is an important component of the Turkish economy. Copper, lead, zinc, iron,
gold, chrome, mercury, sepiolite, borate, trona are the traditional minerals of Turkey. Of 90 minerals
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traded in the world market, only 13 of which are not present in the country. Turkey has source
superiority for 50 minerals and insufficient resources for 27 minerals. Currently, 53 kinds of minerals
are produced. Turkey is a major producer of industrial minerals, being among the top producers of
boron. Turkey is the world’s second largest producer of trona. There are two trona deposits, totalling
836 million tons. The country is among the top producers of chromite and is a major world producer
of barite, lignite, magnesite, and marble. In terms of high added value products, Turkey has a
competitive power in iron and steel, cement, glass, ceramic, boron, chromite, marble and magnesite
products.
Turkey has also considerable geothermal energy resources. The country ranks first in the EU and
7th in the world in terms of geothermal sources. As a result of geothermal energy explorations, more
than 600 hot water resources with a temperature of 102oC have been discovered. About 184
geothermal areas with temperatures over 35-40 oC have been discovered by drillings carried out by
MTA. The first geothermal research began in 1962 by MTA and it continued to be enlarged for more
than 50 years. From 1990s until the early 2000s, geothermal research programme came to halt due
to economic policy. After 2004, a new period of exploration programme began and drill holes have
significantly increased 10 fold from 2000 m by 25.000 m.
Most of the mines produced relatively small amounts of metal, such as lead, zinc, and antimony,
with the exception of copper. Numerous copper occurrences are concentrated across the country.
Main Au-Cu deposits are mainly of porphyry and epithermal types associated with volcanoplutonic
arcs. The Anatolides, an orogenic belt, are the most prolific porphyry belt in Turkey with two of the
largest gold deposits. Cu-Pb-Zn deposits are mainly of VMS-type, especially Kuroko and Cyprus, and
MVT-type. Nearly, all the known chromium deposits are podiform-type related to Alpine-ophiolitic
rocks. Epithermal Au-Ag deposits are mainly concentrated in western and part of Turkey. In
northeastern part, epithermal Au-Ag mineralizations are associated with submarine to subaerial
volcanic rock, whereas subaerial volcanic rocks in the western part. Orogenic Au mineralizations are
spatially associated with pre-Mesozoic massifs
extending along the middle parts of Anatolia
peninsula. Despite a long history of placer mining, very few placer deposits of Turkey have current
economic interest. The country holds promise for further discoveries of gold. Ophiolite-hosted
lateritic Ni-Co occurrences make Turkey attractive for further lateritic nickel exploration and mining.
Many foreign companies have been conducting exploration activities to explore untapped mineral
wealth, especially base and precious metals.
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Change in the Turkish mining law and increasing metal prices have boosted mineral exploration
activities, resulting many discoveries. In 1990s, economic policy and exploration strategies led to
stagnation of coal exploration activities. In the years following, increasing exploration in the country
led to a considerable number of lignite discoveries, amounting to 5 billion tons. There has been an
increase by 60 percent in coal reserves from estimated 8.3 billion tons to 13.3 billion tons. Turkey
ranks sixth in the production of lignite in the world and also ranks seventh in terms of lignite
reserves.
According to Turkish Mining Law, minerals are under the ownership and domination of the state
and are not considered to be the property of the landowner where they are found. Government has
right to give permission of exploration and exploitation to private individuals or companies or public
organizations. Mining rights in Turkey may be granted either to Turkish citizens or the state
enterprises authorized in the mining activities or corporate bodies established on the basis of Turkish
Republic laws. In this context, the companies with the foreign capital, established on the basis of
Turkish Republic laws can also obtain mining rights in Turkey.
MTA (Mineral Research and Exploration General Directorate) is a leading state-run company
conducting mineral explorations throughout Turkey, and a national center for the creation of
knowledge infrastructure, information in eart science. MTA was established with the aim of
conducting scientific and technological research on mineral exploration and geology. MTA which
carries out geological research at sea and land, provides effective use of new ore deposits and energy
raw materials by performing scientific research related to exploration. In this contex, MTA plans to
carried out more than 300.000 meters drilling per year to discover new mineral and energy
resources. MTA offers a wide-ranging programme of both field- and clasroom-based development
training courses for agencies and associations in order to contribute mining sector. MTA facilitate
collaboration with universities and institutions across the country through joint ventures.
MTA has great contributions in discovering or developing the underground resources to date. It
carries out important works for the search of many hypothetical and speculative mineral deposits
and producing relevant basic geological data. MTA General Directorate has improved its functional
structure since the date of its establishment and became an institution providing service in every
field related to geology. Our institution today carries out the followings; preparation of basic
geological maps, remote sensing and geographic information system applications, marine searches,
karst and cave surveys, determining areas of natural disaster like earthquake, landslide, flood area,
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and collapse areas, determining medical geological risk areas and geological heritage sites, and
conducting scientific, geophysical, and drilling works. Within the scope of these activities, our
organization realizes mineral exploration as MTA projects, type contracted surveys, paid works, and
consultancy services. In addition to that, various advisory fields are examined and licence fields listed
by the Mine Affairs General Directorate (MIGEM) are revaluated.
Our organization operates in every field of geology mainly with respect to mineral exploration,
and but it transfers mine operation to other organizations and private sector. MTA has great
contribution to the discovery or development of underground resources of our country. In addition,
it trains expert staff to the sector in the field of geology and mining, gets drilling works done by the
private sector and encourages the production and development of drilling machines. All these works
of MTA provide an important added value to the economy and increase employment.
The variety of exposed rock types in Turkey and developed geologic and geotechnical
environment conditions indicate the possibility of an important potential by new underground
resources yet to be discovered in buried environments. In addition to known facts with respect to the
new exploration activities by MTA and private sector. There are various projects applied and planned
by MTA on this matter. MTA conducts extensive and comprehensive works with respect to the
discovery of these resources. In addition, technical support is provided to the private sector.
Although ore deposits and prospects in Anatolia have been studied extensively, the geodynamic
processes that control their genesis, location, and timing remain poorly understood. Considering just
one deposit and/or district can not explain the key geological features that can be applied globally. In
order to understand the processes that control the formation and distribution of these deposits,
global comparison is a useful tool to obtain information on key features that are common to all
districts. Assuming that orogenic belts recognized throughout the world have distinctive geological
features such as geodynamic, mineralogy, stratigraphy, and ore facies, it is not easy to make global
comparison of these districts. The ore deposits to be compared must have well-preserved primary
features. Some terrains containing ore deposits such as VMS commonly have been subjected to
greenschist facies or higher grade metamorphism. Intense deformation and associated
metamorphism could destroy evidence of primary ore facies characteristics. Generally, the primary
features of most of the known deposits are not well-preserved due to extensive metamorphism. In
contrast, the primary features of some deposits such as the eastern Pontide belt VMS deposits are
largely preserved due to the region’s nonmetamorphosed nature. These areas should be targeted by
researchers.
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Metamorphic rocks that are widely exposed in our country are speculative potential fields with
respect to minerals like natural stone (marble), feldspar, mica, garnet, andalusite-sillimanite-disten,
graphite, diasphore and mineralization of orogenic Au, Sb and Hg. As a result of the complex
geological structure in our country, it is considered that there may be many hypothetical and
speculative underground resources that are yet to be discovered.
Due to lack of deep drilling in most of the exploration programs in Turkey, the porphyry potential
at depth remains untested. Some terranes such as most northeastern part of Anatolia, are covered
by Tertiary volcanic cover. These volcanic rocks provide areas with exploration potential, especially
for epithermal systems. Lateritic nickel deposits were not regarded as economic using conventional
pyrometallurgical processing techniques, these deposits should be re-explored in detail.
For all the reasons mentioned above, new exploration projects, including all facilities such as
scientific exchange between organizations, collaboration activities, training courses in relevant
topics, and drilling programs, should be conducted. These projects should be aimed at introducing
new technology, methods and experience to the related partners. The main goal of these projects is
to make step forward in understanding of where, when and how mineral deposits form. In order to
make this step forward to compare the geology of major metallogenic belts so that key common
features can be distinguished. A further reason for choosing this approach is that the mining industry
and companies now operates with a global perspective and interested in global scientific appraisals
of mineral resources.
Related References
IGCP-502 project, Global Comparisons of volcanic-associated massive sulphide districts
Mineral Research and Exploration Inventories (unpublished reports).
Okay, A.I., ve Tüysüz, O., 1999. Tethyan sutures of northern Turkey. The Mediterranean Basin:
Tertiary extension within the Alpine orogen’da (editörler: B. Durand, L. Jolivet, F. Horváth ve M.
Séranne), Geological Society, London, Special Publication 156, 475-515.
Şengör, A.M.C., Yılmaz, Y., 1981. Tethyan evolution of Turkey; A plate tectonic approach.
Tectonophysics 75, 181-241.
Yigit, O., 2009. Mineral Deposits of Turkey in relation to Tethyan Metallogeny: Implications for future
Mineral Exploration. Econ. Geol., 104, 19-51.
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