20.05.2026 12:40
At 09:00, a 5.6 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Battalgazi district of Malatya. Japanese earthquake expert Yoshinori Moriwaki, in an exclusive statement to Haberler.com, evaluated the earthquake felt in many provinces. Stating that the tremor is an aftershock of the February 6 earthquakes, Moriwaki warned the provinces of Bingöl, Muş, and Bitlis.
Japanese earthquake expert Yoshinori Moriwaki answered questions from presenter Melis Yaşar in the Haberler.com studio. Evaluating the 5.6 magnitude earthquake that occurred in Malatya at 09:00 and was felt in approximately 10 surrounding provinces, Moriwaki stated that this earthquake was an aftershock of the February 6, 2023 earthquakes and issued warnings.
"FEBRUARY 6 AFTERSHOCKS MAY LAST 10 YEARS"
Evaluating the 5.6 magnitude earthquake that occurred in the Battalgazi district of Malatya, Moriwaki said the tremor was an aftershock of the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes.
Moriwaki stated, "This earthquake is an aftershock of the February 6 earthquakes. Aftershocks may continue for 10 years."
"I DO NOT EXPECT AN EARTHQUAKE ABOVE 7"
Speaking about the risk of a new major earthquake for Malatya and its surroundings, Moriwaki said he does not expect an earthquake above magnitude 7 in the region. Stating that the earthquake was felt more strongly because it occurred close to the surface, Moriwaki noted that small faults on the East Anatolian Fault Line may also have been effective.
"NO NEED TO PANIC"
Calling on citizens not to panic, Moriwaki emphasized the importance of earthquake preparedness. Stating that a life triangle should be created, Moriwaki said that basic necessities such as water, a whistle, chocolate, and salt should be in the earthquake kit.
Also emphasizing that items in homes should be secured and soil survey reports should be examined, Moriwaki said, "Once you are prepared, there is no need to panic."
WARNING FOR THESE PROVINCES
Also making assessments about risky regions, Moriwaki drew attention to Bingöl, Muş, Karlıova, and Bitlis, the intersection point of the North Anatolian Fault Line and the East Anatolian Fault Line.
Stating that earthquakes could occur around İzmir and Aydın in the Aegean Region, but he does not expect a very large earthquake, Moriwaki said that for the Marmara Region, there is an energy buildup in the northern branch of the North Anatolian Fault Line close to Istanbul.
Also issuing warnings for the Marmara Region, Moriwaki stated that there has been no major earthquake for a long time along the line of Gemlik, Bursa, Bandırma, and Balıkesir, and emphasized the need to be cautious especially around Bursa.
OCCURRED AT A DEPTH OF 7 KILOMETERS
Meanwhile; the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) Earthquake Department stated that the earthquake recorded at 09:00 occurred at a depth of 7.03 kilometers. While the epicenter of the earthquake was announced as Battalgazi, the tremor was also felt in surrounding provinces such as Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Elazığ, Osmaniye, Kayseri, Bingöl, Erzincan, Şanlıurfa, and Adana.
Following the earthquake, citizens experienced brief panic, and many people went outside their homes. Students in schools were evacuated.
EDUCATION SUSPENDED FOR 1 DAY
Due to the 5.6 magnitude earthquake, education was suspended for 1 day in Malatya. Malatya Governor Seddar Yavuz made the following statement:
"Due to the 5.6 magnitude earthquake that occurred in our Battalgazi district, considering the safety of our students and citizens, education and training have been suspended for 1 day across our province.
All relevant institutions continue their necessary inspections and checks in the field, and developments will be shared with the public. I extend my wishes for a speedy recovery to all our fellow citizens."
MINISTER ÇİFTÇİ: NO NEGATIVE SITUATION
Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi, in his statement after the earthquake in Malatya, stated that teams continue their work and that there is no negative situation as of now, and conveyed his wishes for a speedy recovery. Minister Çiftçi used the following expressions in his statement:
"An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 occurred in the Battalgazi district of our province Malatya at 09:00, which was also felt in our provinces of Adıyaman, Elazığ, Tunceli, and Şanlıurfa. All teams of AFAD and our relevant institutions have immediately started field scans. As of now, there is no negative situation.
Our teams continue their work. I extend my wishes for a speedy recovery to our citizens affected by the earthquake. May God protect our country and nation from disasters."
MAYOR SAMİ ER: WE FELT IT VERY STRONGLY
Malatya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Sami Er said, "It was a strong tremor. We learned it had a depth of 4.4 kilometers, that's why we felt it strongly. No reports have come in so far. We felt it very strongly."