Massive earthquake may hit Turkey in near future: Bogazici University's Kandilli Observatory

Bogazici University's Kandilli Observatory in Turkey said an earthquake larger than magnitude 7 is expected to hit country's Marmara region in the near future.

As per Xinhua report, speaking at a press conference in Istanbul marking the 18th anniversary of a big earthquake that killed around 18,000 in northwestern Turkey, head of the Observatory Haluk Ozener said, "All the scientists have admitted that fact."

"We can detect possible magnitudes and possible locations of future earthquakes but due to today's technology we cannot know their specific dates," Ozener added.

Local media have reported that a recent statement by Union of Architects and Engineers of Turkey showed that most of the buildings in Marmara region are still not safe with the potential risk of collapse in a quake.

According to Kandilli Observatory, the country had faced a devastating earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 in 1999 in the same region.