Earthquake Activity 20/12/07 09:48:30 o'clock GMT Central Turkey Magnitude 5.3 near Ankara, Here's hoping all is well in that area of Turkey.
ANKARA, Turkey - A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 shook the capital of Ankara on Thursday, a Turkish seismology center said. There were no immediate reports of injuries, but the quake brought down a minaret of a village mosque.

The earthquake, which struck at the start of the Muslim Eid al-Adha festival, lasted for a few minutes, and caused apartment buildings and furniture to sway and chandeliers to fall.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 5.3.

The Istanbul-based Kandilli seismology center said the epicenter of the quake was the town of Bala, some 50 miles south of Ankara. Two aftershocks, the strongest measuring 4.0, followed the temblor. There were two smaller quakes, measuring 3.9 and 4.0, earlier in the day.

The quake demolished an abandoned house in the village of Sirapinar, near Bala, and caused some damage to about a dozen homes and barns, said Muhammed Yildirim, a local official.

Most of the villagers were outdoors sacrificing sheep for the Muslim festival and were not in any danger, Yildirim said.

In the nearby Yeniyapan village, the mosque's minaret tumbled down from the force of the jolt and some homes were also damaged in the village of Avsar, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.

Gov. Kemal Onal said there were no immediate reports of any casualties in the quake.

"Emergency services have left for Bala to assess possible damage in the villages," Onal said.

Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault, though they are rare in the capital.