40.748, 29.864
The 1999 İzmit earthquake (also known as the 17 August Earthquake or the 1999 Gölcük Earthquake) was a magnitude 7.6 earthquake which the Kocaeli Province of Turkey on 17 August 1999. Between 17,127 and 18,373 people died as a result, and it caused an estimated US $6.5 billion in damage. It was named for the quake's proximity to the northwestern city of İzmit. The earthquake occurred at 03:01 local time (00:01 UTC) at a shallow depth of 15 km. A maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme) was observed. The earthquake lasted for 37 seconds, causing seismic damage, and is widely remembered as one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern Turkish history.
The 1999 earthquake was part of a seismic sequence along the North Anatolian Fault that started in 1939, causing large earthquakes that moved progressively from east to west over a period of 60 years. The earthquake encouraged the establishment of a so-called earthquake tax aimed at providing assistance to those affected by the earthquake.