Turkey’s emergency authority has said a 5.8 magnitude earthquake has shaken Istanbul, causing panic among residents.
The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority said in a statement that the quake struck in the Sea of Marmara at 13:59 pm (10:59 GMT) at 6.9 kilometers below ground.
Witnesses felt buildings shake in the city during the quake and said some offices and schools were temporarily evacuated.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu wrote on his Twitter account that there were no immediate reports of damage or people hurt.
The quake was reportedly felt in neighbouring provinces.
Turkey is crossed by fault lines and prone to earthquakes.
More than 200 were killed and 1000 injured after a powerful 7.2 earthquake hit southeastern Turkey on 23 October 2011.
Most of the victims were in the town of Ercis where dozens of buildings collapsed.
In 1999 a quake measuring 7.6 struck the city of Izmit, 90 km southeast of Istanbul, killing more than 17,000 people.