This species is distinguished from its congeners of the Garra variabilis species-group by the following set of characters, none of which are unique to the species: differs from G. variabilis by having two pairs of barbels (vs. one), scales on the predorsal midline between the dorsal-fin origin and the nape 15-19 (vs. 11-15), and total gill rakers on the first gill arch 11-16 (vs. 20-26); differs from G. kemali and G. klatti from Central Anatolia by having a mental disc (vs. absent), and barbels two pairs (vs. none); differs from G. nudiventris, G. roseae, G. rossica by having two pairs of barbels (vs. none in G. roseae; one pair in G.nudiventris and most populations of G. rossica, two pairs in some of G. rossica), a well-developed mental disc (vs. reduced in G. rossica), predorsal mid-line fully covered by scales (vs. naked in G.nudiventris), belly covered by scales (vs. naked in G.nudiventris); differs from G. roseae by having scales on the lateral line 35-40 (vs. 42-58), transverse scale rows between the lateral line and the dorsal-fin origin 5½-6½ (vs. 7½-8½), transverse scale rows between the lateral line and the pelvic-fin origin 4½-5½ (vs. 6½), axillary scale at the pelvic-fin origin present (vs. absent) (Ref. 128981).