[68024] A 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck Malatya province in Turkey

A 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck Malatya province in Turkey

On the morning of May 20, 2026, a 5.6-magnitude earthquake was felt in the Battalgazi district of Malatya province, Turkey. According to reports by TRT Haber, the tremor occurred at 09:00 and was felt in many neighboring cities, including Adıyaman, Elazığ, Tunceli, and Şanlıurfa.

Turkish state institutions, including AFAD (the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority), reported that according to initial assessments, there were no reports of loss of life or heavy infrastructure damage. The Mayor of Malatya, Sami Er, noted that the earthquake lasted about 10 seconds and there were no reports of significant building collapses. However, as a precautionary measure, the suspension of educational institutions in the area was announced for one day, as published in Son Dakika Haberler Gündem.

Experts presented varied assessments regarding the nature of the tremor. While Prof. Osman Bektaş claimed on Sputnik Türkiye that this is a "continuation of the February 6 earthquakes" and constitutes a persistent risk for the Malatya fault zone, Prof. Şener Üşümezsoy, quoted in Sondakika Haber Gündem, claimed he had predicted the event in advance and warned of the potential for stronger tremors on parallel fault lines.

Other media outlets, including A Haber, highlighted the use of early warning technology on Android smartphones, which provided users with alerts seconds before the shaking began. Despite the initial panic, Malatya Governor, Seddar Yavuz, stated to DoğruHaber that only isolated reports of minor damage had been received, such as the collapse of parts of auxiliary structures and fences.