By Emre Peker
ISTANBUL--Ford Otomotiv Sanayi AS, the Turkish unit of Ford
Motor Co. (F) in partnership with Koc Holding AS (KCHOL), said
Wednesday that it has halted production at two plants as a labor
protest hit its supply lines, triggering a shortage of parts.
The car maker, based in Kocaeli just east of Istanbul, became
the latest producer hit by a string of protests started Friday in
the nearby province of Bursa, where employees at Renault SA's
Turkish manufacturer, Oyak Renault, halted work, demanding higher
wages.
On Monday, local automaker Tofas Turk Otomobil Fabrikasi
AS--manufacturer of Fiat, Citroen, Peugeot, Opel and Vauxhall
vehicles--also stopped production as employees downed tools. The
work-stoppage protests also spread to auto parts manufacturers in
Bursa, an hour south of Istanbul.
"Labor actions in some automotive suppliers operating in [the]
Bursa region have caused interruptions in parts supply to our
Golcuk and Yenikoy Plants in Kocaeli," Ford Otosan said in a
statement to the stock exchange. "Production will start when the
part supply problem is resolved."
Ford Otosan's shares fell 1.5% to 36.65 liras ($14.1) as trading
started in Istanbul, compared with a 0.3% slump in the broader
BIST-100 Stock Index. The company is 18% publicly owned, with Ford
and Koc holding a 41% stake each. Tofas shares also continued their
slide, easing 1.1% to 17.75 liras.
Write to Emre Peker at emre.peker@wsj.com