Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said a 5.8 magnitude quake hit at an epicentre 70 kilometres west of Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara, just south of the town of Silivri. 

The tremor struck at 1059 GMT (1:59 pm local time).

Turkey lies on fault lines and is prone to earthquakes. The most devastating one in recent history, of magnitude 7.4, happened in 1999, killing more than 17,000 people.