The earthquake was of magnitude 5.9. The epicenter was in the village of Golkaya in Düzce province, about 20 miles east of Istanbul, according to the country’s authorities.
The shock could be felt both in Istanbul and in the capital Ankara.
Mayor Faruk Özlü of Düzce told NTV TV channel that the earthquake caused a power outage in the area and people were left without buildings.
The first images of the area show people sitting outside their homes wrapped in blankets, reports the AFP news agency.
A court building in Düzce was damaged in the earthquake. No buildings were reported to have collapsed.
Photo: AA/ABACA / Abaca
Authorities are still assessing the extent of the damage
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted that 35 people were injured, 32 of them in Düzce province, one in Istanbul and two in neighboring provinces. One of them is seriously injured after jumping from a height, writes Koca.
70 aftershocks were recorded, according to Turkish authorities.
Schools in the area have been asked to remain closed.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu visited the area. He says so far there have been no reports of major damage or buildings collapsing, writes AFP.
The USGS seismic center reported that the strength of the earthquake was actually 6.1. Turkish authorities measured the earthquake at 5.9. The epicenter was at a depth of 10 kilometers about 17 miles east of Istanbul.
Located in an earthquake zone
Turkey is located in one of the most earthquake-prone areas in the world.
In Düzce, around 800 people died when Turkey was hit by a powerful earthquake in 1999.
The earthquake was the worst in decades. In total, over 17,000 people died, about 1,000 of them in Istanbul.
Experts have long warned that Istanbul could be hit by a powerful earthquake.
