The Law Amending Certain Laws for the Purpose of Improvement of the Investment Environment, Law No: 6728 has been published in the Official Gazette dated 9 August 2016 and numbered 29796 (“Amending Law”). It amends several laws including the (i) Stamp Duty Law No: 488, (ii) Law of Fees No: 492, and (iii) provisions of the Turkish Commercial Code Law No: 6102 on the incorporation of entities. With these amendments, the Turkish government aims to reduce the cost of foreign direct investment in Turkey.

The good news is that public works construction projects for municipalities are projected to remain a major sector of construction activity for the foreseeable future. The not-so-good news is that municipal bankruptcy filings are on the rise, and they are likely to increase. The issues facing parties under contract with a municipality when it files for bankruptcy protection are playing out nationally in places like Stockton, California, and Detroit, Michigan.