devastating earthquake that struck near the city of İzmit in northwestern Turkey on Aug. 17, 1999. Thousands of people were killed, and large parts of a number of mid-sized towns and cities were destroyed.

The earthquake, which occurred on the northernmost strand of the North Anatolian fault system, struck just after 3:00 AM local time. Its epicentre was about 7 miles (11 km) southeast of İzmit. The initial shock lasted less than a minute and registered a magnitude of 7.6. It was followed by two moderate aftershocks on August 19, about 50 miles (80 km) west of the original epicentre. More than 17,000 people were killed and an estimated 500,000 left homeless as thousands of buildings—chief among them the Turkish navy headquarters in Gölcük and the Tüpraş oil refinery in İzmit—collapsed or were heavily damaged. High casualty figures were reported in the towns of Gölcük, Derince, Darıca, and Sakarya (Adapazarı). Farther west, in Istanbul, the earthquake caused hundreds of fatalities and widespread destruction.

The rescue and relief effort was spearheaded by the Turkish Red Crescent (Red Cross and Red Crescent) and the Turkish army, with many international aid agencies joining in. The immediate support offered by Greece led to a thaw in the often-contentious relationship between the two neighbouring countries. Because most of the casualties resulted from the collapse of residential buildings, there was a strong public outcry against private contractors, who were accused of poor workmanship and of using cheap, inadequate materials. Some contractors were criminally prosecuted, but very few were found guilty. Public opinion also condemned officials who had failed to enforce building codes regarding earthquake-resistant designs.