The strongest recent earthquake in Turkey was the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck southern and central Turkey and northern Syria on February 6, 2023. This quake was one of the largest ever recorded in Turkey, equivalent in magnitude to the 1939 Erzincan earthquake, and had a maximum Mercalli intensity of XII (Extreme) near the epicenter. It caused widespread devastation, killing more than 53,000 people in Turkey and injuring over 107,000, with millions affected and significant damage across a large area

. More recently, on April 23, 2025, a strong earthquake of magnitude 6.2 struck near Istanbul, about 80 km west of the city. This quake was one of the strongest to hit Istanbul in recent years, causing panic and some injuries but no major structural damage was reported

. In summary:

• The 2023 earthquake was extremely powerful at magnitude 7.8, causing massive loss of life and damage

• The 2025 Istanbul earthquake was strong at magnitude 6.2, but with limited damage and injuries reported