Turkey - Factors to Watch on May 15

ISTANBUL, May 15 (Reuters) - Here are news, reports and events that may affect Turkish financial markets on Wednesday.

The lira TRYTOM=D3 stood at 1.8160 against the dollar at 0534 GMT, weakening slightly from 1.8131 late on Tuesday.

Turkey's main stock index .XU100 closed up 1.7 percent on Tuesday at 91,287.14 points.

The two-year benchmark bond yield TR070115TVA=IS closed at 5.00 percent on Tuesday, down from 5.07 percent a day earlier.

GLOBAL MARKETS

Asian share markets were mixed on Wednesday, with Australian equities dented by weakness in mining firms while Tokyo stocks surged to a 5-1/2-year high as Japanese exporters rallied after the yen's recent slide. The yen hovered near a 4-1/2-year low versus the dollar set on Tuesday, with yen bears remaining largely in control since the Japanese currency's slide accelerated after the Bank of Japan's April 4 launch of drastic monetary stimulus. ID:nL3N0DW0K1

TURKISH AIRLINES THYAO.IS

Workers at the flag carrier began a strike early on Wednesday in a dispute over pay and the reinstatement of sacked workers.

ERDOGAN IN WASHINGTON

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan begins his visit to the United States, where he will push U.S. President Barack Obama for more assertive action on Syria. ID:nL6N0DV02L

UNEMPLOYMENT DATA TRUNR=ECI

The Turkish Statistics Institute will announce February unemployment data (0700 GMT).

BUDGET DATA TRBUD=ECI

The finance ministry will announce budget data for April (0800 GMT).

ERDEMIR EREGL.IS

The steelmaker said net profit rose 84 percent in the first quarter to 228.2 million lira, sharply above a poll forecast of 160 million lira.

NORTHERN IRAQ

A Turkish firm is partnering with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Exxon Mobil XOM.N to carry out oil exploration in northern Iraq, Turkey's prime minister said on Tuesday, taking Turkey's cooperation with Iraqi Kurds on energy one step further. ID:nL6N0DV47O

Note: For a list of forthcoming events, see TR/DIARY .

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