Istanbul region shaken again as seismic activity spreads across Türkiye

Türkiye continues to experience seismic tremors, with new earthquakes rattling parts of the country just weeks after a powerful jolt in the Sea of Marmara caused widespread alarm.

On the morning of May 13, a magnitude 3.8 earthquake was recorded off the coast of Istanbul.

According to Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), the quake struck at 08:18 local time, approximately 20.66 kilometres from Istanbul’s Büyükçekmece district, at a depth of 6.84 kilometres, Caliber.Az reports.

#DEPREM
Büyüklük:3.8 (Mw)
Yer:Marmara Denizi - [20.66 km] Büyükçekmece (İstanbul)
Tarih:2025-05-13
Saat:07:18:15 TSİ
Enlem:40.83972 N
Boylam:28.39944 E
Derinlik:6.84 km
Detay:https://t.co/fU5VmJ2p8x@afadbaskanlik @trthaber @anadoluajansi

— AFAD Deprem (@DepremDairesi) May 13, 2025

Earlier, another tremor measuring 4.9 in magnitude was registered off the coast of Muğla province in the Aegean Sea. This earthquake occurred 137 kilometres west of the Bodrum district and had a depth of 7 kilometres, according to initial data.

#DEPREM
Büyüklük:4.9 (Mw)
Yer:Ege Denizi
Tarih:2025-05-13
Saat:02:30:12 TSİ
Enlem:36.72917 N
Boylam:25.75611 E
Derinlik:7 km
Detay:https://t.co/YKXqsCUfAO@afadbaskanlik @trthaber @anadoluajansi

— AFAD Deprem (@DepremDairesi) May 12, 2025

These latest tremors follow a series of significant seismic events that began on April 23, when a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the Sea of Marmara off the coast of Silivri at 13:39 local time. That powerful quake, which lasted roughly 10 seconds, triggered panic across Istanbul and surrounding provinces. It was preceded by a 3.9 magnitude tremor at 13:13 the same day, and together, the two quakes initiated a series of aftershocks.

AFAD reported that 127 aftershocks were recorded following the 6.2 magnitude event, with 47 occurring within the first three hours. These aftershocks, ranging in depth from 6 to 15 kilometres, were mainly concentrated in the Silivri and Büyükçekmece regions, but were also felt widely across Istanbul and neighbouring areas.

The April 23 earthquake and its aftershocks resulted in 236 injuries. Most of the injured sustained trauma after jumping from balconies and windows in panic. In Istanbul's Fatih district, one building collapsed during the chaos, though no fatalities were reported.

Seismic activity continued the following morning. At 08:19 on April 24, a 4.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Büyükçekmece in the Sea of Marmara, at a depth of 7 kilometres. That same day, another tremor was reported in the Pamukkale district of Denizli province in southwestern Türkiye. The quake in Pamukkale, which occurred at a depth of 13.34 kilometres, added to the growing sequence of tremors affecting multiple regions.

Numerous smaller aftershocks have been recorded in the weeks since, indicating that the seismic unrest is far from over. Turkish authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, urging the public to remain vigilant and to follow official guidance as seismic activity persists.

By Tamilla Hasanova