5.1 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Central Turkey, Tremors Felt in Ankara

LA 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck central Turkey on Thursday afternoon, with the tremors felt strongly in the capital city, Ankara. According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), the quake occurred around 3:46 p.m. local time, with its epicenter located approximately 14 kilometers northeast of Kulu.

Despite the strong shaking, no immediate reports of injuries or damage have been confirmed, as reported by Iran’s Mehr news agency.

This seismic activity follows a larger 6.1 magnitude earthquake that hit near Fry, Greece, early Wednesday morning. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the quake occurred at a depth of 78 kilometers at around 1:51 a.m. local time. The underwater tremor prompted precautionary tsunami warnings, though no significant damage was reported. The shockwaves were felt across a wide region, including Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan.

The Eastern Mediterranean is known for its seismic activity. Turkey’s disaster management authority notes that the country experiences at least one earthquake of magnitude 5 or higher each year. Earlier in 2025, the Greek island of Santorini recorded several similar tremors, most exceeding magnitude 5, but these too resulted in minimal impact.

The region is still recovering from the catastrophic earthquakes that devastated parts of Turkey and Syria in February 2023. Two massive quakes, measuring 7.8 and 7.5 in magnitude, along with powerful aftershocks, caused widespread destruction. The disaster led to the deaths of more than 59,000 people in Turkey and around 8,000 in Syria.