Shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara and in advance of delegations from Kyiv and Moscow meeting in Istanbul, the central Turkish province of Konya/Kulu experienced an earthquake at around 3:46 p.m. local time.
According to the TRT Haber news outlet, the Turkish Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said on X that the tremor was a 5.2 magnitude quake at a depth of 18.73 kilometers (61,450 feet).
The Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that currently there were no reports of any significant damage or casualties saying
“A 5.2 magnitude earthquake occurred in Konya Kulu. Regarding the earthquake that was also felt in the surrounding provinces, AFAD and all teams of our relevant institutions immediately started field scans. There is no negative situation as of now. I offer my best wishes to our citizens affected by the earthquake.”
Although a relatively minor event (as these things go), it was reportedly felt as far north as the capital, where a spokesperson for the Ankara governor said on social media that:
“The earthquake centered in Konya/Kulu at 15:46 was also felt in our province. According to the initial information obtained by our Governorship and the information conveyed through the 112 Emergency Call Center or other channels, no reports of loss of life or property, destruction or negative situation were received.”
Zelensky and Erdoğan met earlier today, after which the Ukrainian president said, “I don’t officially know the level of Russia, but from what we see, it looks more like a sham.” He was said to be considering how to proceed, adding that it was necessary to understand what mandate the Russian negotiators have and whether they are capable of making decisions.
At the time of writing, negotiations between the Ukrainian and the Russian delegations have not yet started, according to several media reports.
The theological website “Revelation Central” says that many consider earthquakes to be the surest sign of God’s judgment. They contend that the reason for this is that the majority of natural disasters are preceded by advanced warning, whereas earthquakes strike without any warning – arrive suddenly, rattle the earth, topple houses, businesses, and mega-structures, then disappear.
It would be nice to think that President Putin’s representatives in Turkey took a similar view – but it seems unlikely.