A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Silivri, west of İstanbul, at 12:49 local time (GMT+3) on Wednesday, sending tremors through Turkey’s Marmara region and as far as Ankara and İzmir, officials said. The quake, recorded at a depth of 6.9 kilometres by Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), was followed minutes later by three aftershocks measuring 4.4, 4.5, and 4.9.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said rapid field assessments had begun, while Istanbul Governor’s office confirmed no initial reports of damage but urged residents to avoid potentially unsafe buildings.
Renowned geologist Professor Naci Görür warned the initial quake originated in the Kumburgaz Fault Zone—an area believed to be accumulating seismic stress—adding, “This is a locked fault. It’s storing energy. We must stay alert.”
AFAD issued advisories urging the public to avoid damaged structures and use SMS or internet-based apps for communication to ease network congestion.
While no fatalities or destruction have been confirmed, the tremor reignited concerns over Istanbul’s vulnerability to a major earthquake, a long-feared scenario for the 16-million-strong metropolis straddling active fault lines.
