"About 10 people received small injuries when they jumped from balconies in panic," the governor of Denizli, Recep Yazicioglu, told Anatolia news agency.

The earthquake was the third to jolt the town of Buldan in Denizli province in eight hours.

Two quakes, measuring 5.0 and 4.1 on the Richter scale respectively, struck the region at around 0100 GMT and 0115 GMT, without causing any casualties or damage.

They were followed by the 5.6-strong quake at 0836 GMT, which was also felt in neighbouring provinces.

As aftershocks continued to shake the region, Yazicioglu urged the population to remain calm although he advised them to spend the night outside as a precautionary measure against future tremors.

"If possible, people should avoid going into their homes tonight," he said.

Some locals had begun setting up tents in school courtyards and other open spaces to spend the night under the open sky, Anatolia reported.

The quake caused damage to an estimated 48 houses in Buldan and the surrounding area, including some of the town's 150 historical houses, the governor said.

Turkey is criss-crossed by tectonic faultlines. An earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale killed 176 people in the eastern province of Bingol in May.

TERRA.WIRE