Solana, who had a telephone conversation with Turkish foreign minister Abdullah Gul, expressed his "full solidarity and support", a statement from his office said.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said nearly 100 people have died in the earthquake which hit the the mainly Kurdish province of Bingol in eastern Turkey early on Thursday.

Around 450 have been injured, and about 200 people -- mostly children in a school which was flattened -- were still trapped under collapsed buildings.

SPACE.WIRE