Southeast Turkey shaken by 5.0 magnitude quake

ISTANBUL – Turkey’s disaster authority and the U.S. Geological Survey say a 5.0 magnitude earthquake has struck Siirt in southeastern Turkey.

The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, or AFAD, said Thursday there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the quake that hit at a depth of 20 kilometres (12 miles) at 8:45 a.m. (0545 GMT).

Turkey is crisscrossed by fault lines and was hit by two strong tremors this year — one that hit the western port city of Izmir last month, killing 117 people, and another in Elazig province, killing 41 people.

At least 17,000 people died in a powerful earthquake in northwest Turkey in 1999.