Turkey - Factors to Watch on June 22

ISTANBUL, June 22 (Reuters) - Here are news, reports and events that may affect Turkish financial markets on Friday.

The lira was at 1.8000 against the dollar at 0511 GMT, slightly firming from 1.8028 late on Thursday.

The yield on the benchmark bond closed at 8.94 percent following the central bank policy decision, down from 9.01 percent on Wednesday. The benchmark yield fell to 8.92 percent, the lowest since the end of February, after Moody's comments on Wednesday.

Istanbul's main stock index closed 1.75 percent higher at 60,439 points, led by banking shares which jumped 2.76 percent.

GLOBAL MARKETS

Asian shares fell on Friday and the safe-haven dollar hovered near its highest in a week-and-a-half after weak manufacturing data from the United States, Europe and China heightened fears over the outlook for global growth.

A long-expected downgrade to the credit ratings of 15 of the world's biggest banks by ratings agency Moody's added to the gloom, which also weighed on commodities and currencies such as the Australian dollar that are linked to resource demand.

ERDEMIR

Kemal Ozden, senior advisor to Turkey's largest flat steel maker Erdemir's chairman told Reuters that higher sales of Russian and Ukrainian steel into Turkey are putting downward pressure on steel prices and affecting domestic steelmakers' margins.

HIGHWAY TENDER

Turkey extended the bidding deadline for the tender of construction and operational rights of eight highways and two existing bridges across the Bosphorus for 25 years, according to the Official Gazette. The bidding deadline was delayed to October 31, from August 9 previously, it said.

Note: For a list of forthcoming events, see.