# List of earthquakes in Turkey

Turkey has had many earthquakes. This list includes any notable historical earthquakes that have epicenters within the current boundaries of Turkey, or which caused significant effects in this area. Overall, the population in major cities like Istanbul resides in structures that are a mix of vulnerable and earthquake resistant construction.

## Tectonic setting

Turkey is a seismically active area within the complex zone of collision between the Eurasian plate and both the African and Arabian plates. Much of the country lies on the Anatolian sub-plate, a small plate bounded by two major strike-slip fault zones, the North Anatolian Fault and East Anatolian Fault. The western part of the country is also affected by the zone of extensional tectonics in the Aegean Sea caused by the southward migration of the Hellenic arc. The easternmost part of Turkey lies on the western end of the Zagros fold and thrust belt, which is dominated by thrust tectonics.

## Seismic hazard

Seismic hazard in Turkey is highest along the plate boundaries, but there is a significant risk of damaging earthquakes almost anywhere in the country. Seismic maps that show risk have changed through time.

## Buildings

In earthquake-prone areas, all buildings built to 20th century standards may be dangerous, but shortly after the 1999 İzmit earthquake, which killed over 17 thousand people, a new seismic code was brought into force to protect against earthquakes in Turkey. Also following that earthquake a so-called earthquake tax was raised during the government of Bülent Ecevit. Initially thought as a temporary tax, it became permanent. In 2007 the seismic code was strengthened. However, it is alleged that builders often ignored the rules due to corruption. After the 2011 Van earthquakes Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said: "Municipalities, constructors and supervisors should now see that their negligence amounts to murder." In 2018, a zoning law gave amnesties to some unlicensed buildings and some with unlicensed floors.
Further resilience over the 2007 code was mandated in the 2018 Turkish Seismic Code, which took effect on 1 January 2019. Improvements included design supervision and site specific hazard definitions, and for new buildings in vulnerable regions required rebar in high quality concrete. Beams and columns in those buildings must be in the right place to properly absorb shaking. The code is said by foreign experts to be very modern and similar to US codes. However, these 21st century building codes were not very well enforced.
In a bid to shore up support going into the 2018 Turkish presidential election, the government offered amnesties for violations of the building code, allowing non-compliance to continue with the payment of a fee. This poor enforcement of seismic codes was a contributing factor to the devastation of the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes in which over 42,000 people died in Turkey. There were high incidences of support column failure leading to pancake collapses, which complicated rescue efforts. Experts lamented the practice would turn cities into graveyards. The 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes collapsed many older buildings and some recent ones: the Environment and Urbanization Ministry is assessing the damage.

## List of notable earthquakes
### Historical earthquakes in Turkey (before 1920)

| Date | Time‡ | Place | Lat | Long | Deaths | Mag. | Comments | Sources |
| 17 CE | n/a | Philadelphia (Alaşehir) | 38.21 | 28.31 | n/a | n/a | see AD 17 Lydia earthquake | |
| 13 December 115 | | Antioch | 36.1 | 36.1 | 260,000 | 7.5 M$_s$ | see 115 Antioch earthquake | |
| 4 January 141 (or 142) | | Lycia, Caria, Dodecanese | 36.7 | 28.0 | n/a | VIII | Triggered a severe tsunami that caused inundation at Rhodes; see 141 Lycia earthquake | |
| 21 December 262 | | South and west coasts of Anatolia | 36.5 | 27.8 | n/a | IX | Damaged many buildings at Ephesus and triggered a tsunami that hit coastal cities; see 262 Southwest Anatolia earthquake | |
| 26 January 447 | Night | Bithynia, Thrace, Byzantine Empire | 41.008 | 28.978 | Unknown | IX | Date uncertain, severely damaged the Theodosian walls in Constantinople see 447 Constantinople earthquake | |
| 19 May 526 | | Antioch | | | 250,000 | VIII | The city of Antioch was greatly damaged, and some decades later the city's population was just 300,000. see 526 Antioch earthquake | |
| 15 August 554 | | Anatolia | | | | | The earthquake severely damaged the city of Tralles (modern Aydın) and the island of Kos; See 554 Anatolia earthquake | |
| 14 December 557 | just before midnight | Constantinople | 40.9 | 28.7 | n/a | X (Intense) | Constantinople was "almost completely razed to the ground" by the earthquake. see 557 Constantinople earthquake | |
| 14 May 1269 | | Cilicia, Anatolia | 37.5 | 35.5 | 60,000 | ~7 | see 1269 Cilicia earthquake | – |
| 10 September 1509 | | Constantinople | 40.9 | 28.7 | 10,000 | 7.2 M$_w$ | see 1509 Constantinople earthquake | – |
| May 1598 | | Amasya and Çorum | 40.6 | 35.4 | 60,000 | 6.7 M$_s$ | see 1598 Amasya–Çorum earthquake | – |
| 23 February 1653 | | Smyrna | 38.2 | 28.2 | 2,500 | 7.5 | see 1653 East Smyrna earthquake | |
| 17 August 1668 | | Anatolia | 40 | 36 | 8,000 | 8 | see 1668 North Anatolia earthquake | |
| 10 July 1688 | 11:45 | Smyrna | 38.4 | 26.9 | 16,000 | 7.0 M$_s$ | see 1688 Smyrna earthquake | |
| 22 May 1766 | 05:10 | Istanbul | 40.8 | 29.0 | 4,000 | 7.1 M$_s$ | see 1766 Istanbul earthquake | |
| 5 August 1766 | | Dardanelles | 40.6 | 27.0 | 5,000 | 7.4 M$_w$ | see 1766 Marmara earthquake | |
| 23 July 1784 | | Erzincan | 39.5 | 40.2 | 5,000–>10,000 | 7.6 M$_s$ | see 1784 Erzincan earthquake | |
| 2 July 1840 | | Ağrı | 39.6 | 44.1 | 10,000 | 7.4 M$_s$ | May have triggered the last eruption of Mount Ararat. Casualties associated with a large landslide on the volcano. see 1840 Ahora earthquake | |
| 28 February 1855 | 01:00 | Bursa | 40.2 | 29.1 | 1,900 | 6.7 | see 1855 Bursa earthquake | |
| 2 June 1859 | 10:30 | Erzurum | 39.9 | 41.3 | 15,000 | 6.1 M$_s$ | see 1859 Erzurum earthquake | |
| 12 May 1866 | | Bingöl | 39.2 | 41.0 | 680+ | 7.2 M$_s$ | see 1866 Bingöl earthquake | |
| 3 April 1872 | – | Hatay | 36.4 | 36.4 | 1,800 | 7.2 M$_s$ | see 1872 Amik earthquake | |
| | – | Afyonkarahisar | 38.3 | 29.9 | 1,300 | 6.77 M$_w$ | see 1875 Dinar earthquake | |
| 3 April 1881 | 11:30 | Chios, Çeşme, Alaçatı | 38.25 | 26.25 | 7,866 | 7.3 M$_w$ | see 1881 Chios earthquake | |
| 10 October 1883 | 13:30 | Çeşme, İzmir, Ayvalık | 38.3 | 26.2 | 53–120 | 7.3 M$_s$ | see 1883 Çeşme earthquake | |
| 10 July 1894 | 12:24 | Gulf of İzmit | 40.73 | 29.25 | 1,300 | 7.0 | see 1894 Istanbul earthquake | |
| 20 September 1899 | 04:00 | Büyük Menderes Graben | 37.9 | 28.1 | 1,470 | 7.1 | see 1899 Aydın–Denizli earthquake | |

### 1900–1999

| Date | Time‡ | Place | Lat | Long | Deaths | Mag. | Comments | Sources |
| 29 April 1903 | 01:46 local time | Malazgirt | 39.14 | 42.65 | 600 | 6.7 M$_s$ | see 1903 Manzikert earthquake | |
| 9 August 1912 | 03:29 local time | Mürefte | 40.75 | 27.2 | 216 | 7.3 M$_S$ | see 1912 Mürefte earthquake | |
| 4 October 1914 | 00:07 local time | Burdur | 37.82 | 30.27 | 2,344 | 6.9 M$_S$ | see 1914 Burdur earthquake | |
| 18 November 1919 | 00:54 local time | Balıkesir | 39.18 | 27.65 | 3,000 | 7.0 M$_w$ | see 1919 Ayvalık earthquake | |
| 13 September 1924 | 16:34 local time | Horasan | 40.0 | 42.1 | 60 | 6.8 | see 1924 Pasinler earthquake | |
| 22 October 1926 | 21:59 local time | Kars | 40.7 | 43.7 | 360 | 6.0 M$_s$ | see 1926 Kars earthquake | |
| 31 March 1928 | 02:29 local time | Smyrna | 38.5 | 28.0 | 50 | 6.5 M$_S$ | Possible M=6.2 foreshock previous day | |
| 18 May 1929 | 08:37 local time | Suşehri | 40.2 | 37.9 | 64 | 6.1 | see 1929 Suşehri earthquake | |
| 7 May 1930 | 00:34 local time | Hakkâri | 38.1 | 44.7 | 2,514 | 7.2–7.5 M$_s$ | see 1930 Salmas earthquake | |
| 4 January 1935 | 16:41 local time | Erdek | 40.4 | 27.5 | 5 | 6.4 M$_s$ | | |
| 19 April 1938 | 12:59 local time | Kırşehir | 39.1 | 34.0 | 160 | 6.6 M$_S$ | see 1938 Kırşehir earthquake | |
| 22 September 1939 | 02:36 local time | Dikili | 39.1 | 26.8 | 60 | 6.6 M$_S$ | | |
| 27 December 1939 | 01:57 local time | Erzincan | 39.77 | 39.53 | 32,700 | 7.8 M$_w$ | see 1939 Erzincan earthquake | |
| 15 November 1942 | 19:01 local time | Bigadiç | 39.2 | 28.2 | 16 | 6.1 M$_S$ | | |
| 20 December 1942 | 14:03 | Erbaa | 40.87 | 36.47 | 3,000 | 7.0 M$_s$ | see 1942 Niksar–Erbaa earthquake | |
| 20 June 1943 | 17:32 local time | Hendek | 40.6 | 30.5 | 336 | 6.6 M$_S$ | see 1943 Adapazarı–Hendek earthquake | |
| 26 November 1943 | 22:20 | Ladik | 40.87 | 33.65 | 2,824–5,000 | 7.5 M$_w$ | see 1943 Tosya–Ladik earthquake | |
| 1 February 1944 | 03:25 | Gerede | 40.8 | 32.2 | 3,959 | 7.5 | see 1944 Bolu–Gerede earthquake | |
| 6 October 1944 | 04:34 local time | Ayvalık | 39.37 | 26.53 | 30 | 6.8 M$_S$ | see 1944 Gulf of Edremit–Ayvacik earthquake | |
| 17 August 1949 | | Karlıova | 39.54 | 40.57 | 450 | 6.8 | see 1949 Karlıova earthquake | |
| 13 August 1951 | 18:36 | Kurşunlu | 40.88 | 32.87 | 50 | 6.9 | see 1951 Kurşunlu earthquake | |
| 3 January 1952 | 08:03 local time | Hasankale | 39.9 | 41.7 | 41 | 5.8 | see 1952 Hasankale earthquake | |
| 18 March 1953 | 21:06 local time | Yenice | 40.02 | 27.53 | 265 | 7.2 M$_S$ | see 1953 Yenice–Gönen earthquake | |
| 7 September 1953 | 05.58 local time | Ovacık, Karabük | 41.08 | 33.01 | 2 | 6.0 M$_s$ | | |
| 16 July 1955 | 09:07 local time | Söke | 37.55 | 27.05 | 23 | 6.8 M$_S$ | | |
| 22 February 1956 | 22:31 local time | Eskişehir | 39.89 | 30.49 | 1 | 6.4 M$_s$ | | |
| 25 April 1957 | 04:25 local time | Fethiye | 36.5 | 28.6 | 67 | 7.1 M$_S$ | see 1957 Fethiye earthquakes | |
| 26 May 1957 | 6:36 | Abant | 40.67 | 31.00 | 52 | 7.1 | see 1957 Abant earthquake | |
| 6 October 1964 | 16:31 local time | Manyas | 40.1 | 27.93 | 23 | 7.0 M$_S$ | see 1964 Manyas earthquake | |
| 19 August 1966 | 12:23 | Varto | 39.17 | 41.56 | 2,394 | 6.8 M$_w$ | see 1966 Varto earthquake | |
| 22 July 1967 | 16:56 | Mudurnu | 40.67 | 30.69 | 89 | 7.2 | see North Anatolian Fault | |
| 3 September 1968 | 10:19 local time | Bartın | 41.79 | 32.31 | 29 | 6.5 M$_S$ | see 1968 Bartın earthquake | |
| 28 March 1969 | 03:48 local time | Alaşehir | 38.5 | 28.4 | 53 | 6.5 M$_S$ | see 1969 Alaşehir earthquake | |
| 28 March 1970 | 23:02 local time | Gediz | 39.2 | 29.5 | 1,086 | 7.2 M$_S$ | see 1970 Gediz earthquake | |
| 12 May 1971 | 08:25 local time | Burdur | 37.5 | 29.9 | 57 | 6.1 M$_S$ | | |
| 22 May 1971 | 16:44 | Bingöl | 38.83 | 40.52 | 755 | 6.9 M$_w$ | see 1971 Bingöl earthquake | |
| 6 September 1975 | 12:20 local time | Lice | 38.5 | 40.7 | 2,311 | 6.6 M$_S$ | see 1975 Lice earthquake | |
| 24 November 1976 | 14:22 local time | Muradiye | 39.12 | 44.03 | 4,000 | 7.5 M$_S$ | see 1976 Çaldıran–Muradiye earthquake | |
| 25 March 1977 | | Palu | 38.728 | 40.088 | 30 | 5.2 M$_w$ | | |
| 30 October 1983 | 07:12 local time | Erzurum | 40.33 | 42.19 | 1,342 | 6.9 M$_S$ | see 1983 Erzurum earthquake | |
| 13 March 1992 | 17.18 | Erzincan | 39.70 | 39.69 | 498 | 6.7 M$_w$ | see 1992 Erzincan earthquake | |
| 1 October 1995 | 17:57 local time | Dinar | 38.06 | 30.13 | 90 | 6.1 M$_S$ | see 1995 Dinar earthquake | |
| 27 June 1998 | 16:55 local time | Ceyhan | 36.88 | 35.31 | 146 | 6.3 M$_w$ | see 1998 Adana–Ceyhan earthquake | |
| 17 August 1999 | 03:02 local time | İzmit | 40.77 | 30 | 17,127–18,373 | 7.6 M$_w$ | see 1999 Gölcük earthquake | |
| 12 November 1999 | 18:57 local time | Düzce | 40.75 | 31.16 | 894 | 7.2 M$_w$ | (PDE Monthly Listing); see 1999 Düzce earthquake | USGS |

### 2000–present

| Date | Time‡ | Place | Lat | Long | Deaths | Mag. | Comments | Sources |
| 3 February 2002 | 07:11 | Afyon | 38.573 | 31.271 | 44 | 6.5 M$_w$ | (HRV); see 2002 Afyon earthquake | |
| 27 January 2003 | 05:26 | Pülümür | 39.46 | 39.79 | 1 | 6.1 M$_w$ | (HRV, USGS) | USGS |
| 1 May 2003 | 00:27 | Bingöl | 39.01 | 40.46 | 177 | 6.4 M$_w$ | (HRV, USGS); see 2003 Bingöl earthquake | |
| 2 July 2004 | 01:30 | Ağrı | 39.71 | 44.02 | 18 | 5.1 M$_w$ | (HRV); see 2004 Doğubayazıt earthquake | |
| 8 March 2010 | 02:32 | Elazığ | 38.79 | 40.03 | 41 | 6.1 M$_w$ | (HRV); see 2010 Elazığ earthquake | |
| 19 May 2011 | 23:15 | Kütahya | 39.14 | 29.07 | 2 | 5.8 M$_w$ | (HRV); see 2011 Kütahya earthquake | |
| 23 October 2011 | 13:41 | Van | 38.63 | 43.49 | 604 | 7.2 M$_w$ | (HRV); see 2011 Van earthquakes | |
| 9 November 2011 | 19:23 | Van | 38.42 | 43.22 | 40 | 5.6 M$_w$ | (HRV): see 2011 Van earthquakes | |
| 02014-05-2424 May 2014 | 12:25 local time | Imbros | 40.31 | 25.45 | 0 | 6.9 M$_w$ | (HRV); see 2014 Aegean Sea earthquake | |
| 21 July 2017 | 01:31 local time | Bodrum | 36.92 | 27.41 | 2 (in the Greek island of Kos) | 6.6 M$_w$ | (HRV); see 2017 Aegean Sea earthquake | |
| 02019-09-2626 September 2019 | 13:59 local time | Marmara Region | 40.89 | 28.17 | 1 | 5.7 M$_w$ | (HRV); see 2019 Istanbul earthquake | |
| 02019-09-2624 January 2020 | 20:55 local time | Elazığ, Malatya | 38.390 | 39.081 | 41 | 6.7 M$_w$ | (HRV); see 2020 Elazığ earthquake | |
| 02019-09-2623 February 2020 | 08:53 local time | Iran–Turkey border | 38.3943 | 44.3405 | 10 | 5.8 M$_w$ | (HRV); see 2020 Iran–Turkey earthquakes | |
| 02019-09-2623 February 2020 | 19:00 local time | Iran–Turkey border | 38.3943 | 44.3405 | 10 | 6.0 M$_w$ | (HRV); see 2020 Iran–Turkey earthquakes | |
| 14 June 2020 | 16:24 local time | Bingöl | 39.42 | 40.67 | 1 | 5.9 M$_w$ | see 2020 Bingöl earthquake | |
| 30 October 2020 | 14:51 local time | Aegean Sea | 37.918 | 26.790 | 117 | 7.0 M$_w$ | see 2020 Aegean Sea earthquake | |
| 23 November 2022 | 04:08 local time | Düzce | 40.847 | 30.967 | 2 | 6.1 M$_w$ | see 2022 Düzce earthquake | |
| 6 February 2023 | 04:17 local time | Kahramanmaraş | 37.112 | 37.119 | 62,013 (53,537 in Turkey, 8,476 in Syria) | 7.8 M$_w$ | see 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes | [69] [70] |
| 6 February 2023 | 13:24 local time | Kahramanmaraş | 38.036 | 37.229 | 62,013 (53,537 in Turkey, 8,476 in Syria) | 7.5-7.7 M$_w$ | see 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes | [71] [72] |
| 20 February 2023 | 20:04 local time | Defne | 36.1133 | 36.082 | 11 (6 in Turkey, 5 in Syria) | 6.3 M$_w$ | see 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes | |
| 27 February 2023 | 12:04 local time | Yeşilyurt | 38.2535 | 38.2932 | 2 | 5.2 M$_w$ | see 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes | |