Ankara, Turkey - A moderate earthquake shook a small Turkish town near Istanbul but the

The quake on Wednesday had a preliminary magnitude of 4.8 and was felt in Istanbul and other nearby towns.re were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The Kandilli Observatory's seismology center said the quake was centered in the town of Cinarcik, some 30 miles across the Sea of Marmara from Istanbul.

Cinarcik was among the areas devastated when two earthquakes hit northwestern Turkey in 1999, killing about 18,000 people.

Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault.