Moderate quake jolts northwestern Turkey, no casualties

ANKARA, Dec 2 (AFP) - A moderate earthquake measuring 4.4 on the open-ended Richter scale shook the northwestern Turkish province of Balikesir Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
The tremor struck at 5:51 p.m. (1551GMT) with an epicenter in the town of Sindirgi, the Istanbul-based Kandilli seismological institute said.
Local governor Adem Yazici told Anatolia news agency that the quake sparked only a brief panic among residents.
"The quake did not cause any material damage or loss of life," he said.
Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, where some 20,000 people were killed in two massive tremors in 1999.

12/02/2004 18:30 GMT - AFP