Eastern Taurus tectonics involve an arc-continent collision between the Keban and Arabian microplates during the late Campanian- early Maastrichtian. This collisional phase continued until the early Eocene. The Eastern Taurus Belt was later affected by late Miocene-Pliocene deformation and thrusting events expressed as the Pütürge-Bitlis intracrustal thrust fault comparable to the Main Central Thrust (MCT) of the Himalayas. Initiation of this intracrustal thrust fault is thought to have produced the Eocene volcanic rocks. Identification of different tectonic units along the Malatya Geotraverse, using structural and stratigraphic features, allow the recognition of a number of different terranes, as follows: 1) Ophiolitic rocks representing some form of oceanic mantle and crust (Güleman, Koçali); 2) continental metamorphic terranes with or without a sedimentary cover probably represent fragments of the African- Arabian plate (Pütürge-Bitlis); 3) a basement complex composed of ultrabasic to granitic plutonic rocks and poly-deformed metamorphosed diorites, amphibolites, pyroxenites and garnet-peridotites (Kömürhan suture zone); 4) calc-alkaline volcanic and plutonic rocks which represent magmatic arc products built up partly on continental crust, partly on oceanic crust (Baskil Arc). Investigation of igneous and metamorphic rocks using radiometric, geochemical and stratigraphic techniques provides a basis for an evolutionary model at the two stages of the ophiolitic emplacement. At the first stage, ophiolitic nappes were obducted hot with associated metamorphism and tectonism onto the passive continental margin prior to the arc-continent collision. At the second stage, during collisional phase, the metamorphosed passive continental margin with its ophiolitic nappes was uplifted along inherited extensional listric faults. Thrusting and overfolding allowed these nappes to be carried cold to the furthest southerly position into the Arabian fore-deep sedimentary basin by a gravity sliding mechanism. Oceanic mantle and crust from the fore-arc area with young arc-magmatic rocks (up to 76 Ma) were obducted over the passive continental margin. The arc magmatism provided the dominant heat source, with some form of complementary frictional heat generated during thrusting, and caused the metamorphism of Pütürge massif around 75-70 Ma ago.