A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Şanlıurfa’s Karaköprü district on Thursday morning, sending tremors across several provinces in southeastern Türkiye, according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).

The earthquake occurred at 10:40:58 a.m. local time, with its epicenter in Karaköprü and a depth of 7.39 kilometers, AFAD's Earthquake Department reported.

The relatively shallow earthquake was felt strongly in Şanlıurfa and surrounding areas, including Diyarbakır, Mardin, Batman and Adıyaman, with reports also indicating that residents in other nearby provinces experienced the tremor.

The Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute recorded the earthquake at magnitude 5.8, with a depth of approximately 5.4 kilometers, while AFAD measured it at 5.4 ML and 7.39 kilometers deep. Different seismic networks can produce varying initial measurements as data are processed and revised.

There were no immediate reports of deaths or major structural damage following the earthquake.

Authorities were continuing to monitor the situation and assess possible damage in the affected areas.

The earthquake comes as Türkiye continues to strengthen its earthquake-monitoring and disaster preparedness capacity. AFAD said earlier this month that Türkiye had reached 1,104 earthquake monitoring stations, described as the highest such capacity in Europe.

Given the region's history of destructive earthquakes, authorities routinely urge residents to remain cautious following significant tremors, particularly by staying away from buildings that may have sustained damage and following official instructions. (ILKHA)