The following is from the United States Geological Survey,  National Earthquake   Information   Center:    Preliminary hypocenter   for earthquake of 1999 Aug 17, TURKEY:   latitude  40.6  degrees  north, longitude  29.8  degrees  east, origin  time  00 01 38.6 utc, depth shallow, magnitude 7.8 ms.  There have been unconfirmed  reports  of damage and possible casualties.