Original: The 1999 Ä zmit earthquake (also known as the Kocaeli earthquake or the GÃ lcÃ 1\/4 k earthquake) was a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck northwestern Turkey on August 17, 1999, at about 3:02 am local time.
Simplified: The 1999 Izmit earthquake was an approximately 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck northwestern Turkey on August 17, 1999, at about 3:02 am local time.