Magnitude 6.6 earthquake jolts Turkey's Aegean region

By Firat Tasdemir

ANKARA (AA) - A magnitude 6.6 earthquake jolted Turkey's Aegean region on Friday, according to the nation’s disaster agency.

The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said the quake occurred at 3.51 a.m. local time (1251GMT) at a depth of 16.54 kilometers (around 10 miles).

Bugra Gokce, secretary general of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, told news channel NTV that some houses in the city had been destroyed in the tremor.

Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya said the quake was also felt in Istanbul, but no "negativities" were reported.

The magnitude 6.6 quake struck northwest of the Greek island of Samos in the Aegean Sea, said the National Observatory of Athens.