The epicentre was in the town of Urla, the Istanbul seismological institute said.

Urla governor Ahmet Mailoglu told Anatolia the quake had caused no casualties or material damage.

But residents in the nearby town of Seferihisar preferred to spend the night outside.

This was the second earthquake to jolt the region in little more than a week. On April 10, a 5.6-strong tremblor hit Izmir, causing several injuries.

Turkey is prone to earthquakes, with several faultlines running through the country.

Nearly 20,000 people were killed when two powerful tremors struck the densely-populated northwest of the country in August and November 1999.

SPACE.WIRE