Earthquake Jolts Turkey with 5.1 Magnitude Amid Ongoing Seismic Activity

An earthquake of 5.1 magnitude shook Turkey on May 16 at around 3:46 pm, as reported by the independent scientific organization EMSC. The tremor was felt 14 km northeast of Kulu, according to HT. 

The impact of the tremor was strongly felt across Turkey's capital, Ankara. However, there have been no immediate reports of casualties or injuries, as per Iran's state-backed Mehr news agency. 

This follows after an earthquake of around 6 magnitude struck the area near the Greek islands of Crete, Kasos and Karpathos on early hours of May 13 with no casualties or damages reported, according to Times Now News.

Citing a report by the United States Geological Survey, HT reported that the earthquake occurred at 1:51 a.m. local time, at a depth of 78 kilometers.

According to reports, tremors were felt across a wide area including Cairo, Egypt, and in Israel, Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan. Due to the size of the tremor, which had its epicenter in the sea southeast of Greece, local authorities issued a tsunami warning as a precaution.

Prone to significant earthquakes, Turkey experiences at least one earthquake of magnitude 5 or higher each year.

What Makes Turkey Vulnerable?

 Earlier this year, the island of Santorini also experienced a series of tremors, many exceeding a magnitude of 5, though no major damage was reported at the time.

In February 2023, Turkey and Syria were struck by powerful earthquakes. The initial quake measured 7.8 magnitude, followed by a second one of 7.5 magnitude, accompanied by numerous strong aftershocks. The devastating impact led to a death toll of 59,000 in Turkey and 8,000 in Syria.

The country recorded nearly 33,000 earthquakes in 2020, of these, 332 were of magnitude 4.0 or higher.

Turkey’s proneness to earthquakes comes from its tectonic location. The Earth’s outermost layer comprises of some 15 major slabs, called tectonic plates. According to the British Archaeological Survey, these plates form the lithosphere, consisting of the crust (both continental and oceanic) and the uppermost part of the mantle.

Although tectonic plates move very slowly—typically just a few centimeters per year—the constant movement causes significant deformation at their boundaries, leading to earthquakes.