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A moderate earthquake struck the Black Sea on Sunday evening, prompting brief alarm among residents in Istanbul and neighboring provinces, Turkish authorities reported.
The tremor occurred at 7:44 p.m. local time and measured magnitude 3.7, according to AFAD, Türkiye's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority. The agency recorded the quake's depth at 13.57 kilometers beneath the seabed.
Kandilli Observatory, Türkiye's seismological research center, reported a slightly higher magnitude of 3.9 for the same event, with a depth of 11.2 kilometers. The discrepancy in measurements between the two institutions is common in earthquake monitoring.
The tremor was widely felt in Istanbul, Türkiye's largest city, as well as in multiple surrounding provinces, causing momentary concern among residents.
Speaking on CNN Turk's live broadcast, seismologist Suleyman Pampal sought to reassure the public about the quake's significance.
"There are many faults in the north. Earthquakes here are normal. This has little meaning for Istanbul. Such earthquakes happen continuously," Pampal said.
He attributed the widespread perception of the quake to its depth. "Because the focal depth is somewhat high, it's normal for it to be felt over a wide area. But it's not a significant earthquake," he explained.
Pampal emphasized that the region where the quake occurred does not pose a major seismic threat to Istanbul. "There is no fault line there with destructive earthquake potential. This is normal. There are faults coming from around Georgia and Zonguldak, but these appear north of Istanbul," he said, adding: "There's no need to exaggerate this earthquake."
The Black Sea region experiences regular seismic activity due to multiple fault lines extending from Georgia through northern Türkiye. AFAD maintains real-time earthquake monitoring across Türkiye, publishing continuous updates on seismic events in provinces including Istanbul, Izmir, Malatya, Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Duzce, Mugla, Tokat, Bingol and Manisa.
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