An Istanbul court today imposed travel bans on two key executives of Turkiye’s top business association in an investigation of their remarks on democracy that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan characterised as undermining the government, Reuters has reported.
In statements at the group’s general meeting last week, TUSIAD’s president, Orhan Turan, and Omer Aras, the chairman of QNB’s Turkish banking unit, criticised a government crackdown on dissenting figures. Aras said that the investigation into opposition leaders and journalists had shaken trust and damaged democracy.
On Wednesday, Istanbul prosecutors said that the two were being investigated for “attempting to influence a fair trial” and “publicly spreading misleading information,” and police had been ordered to bring them to the courthouse for questioning. Their courthouse appearance came hours after Erdogan accused them of meddling in politics, during a speech to lawmakers of his AK Party in parliament.
The court released both under judicial control measures after the questioning and imposed the bans on international travel, said state-run Anadolu Agency.
Footage from private broadcaster Now Haber and other Turkish media showed the police officers taking the two executives by the arm in the courthouse.
TUSIAD, whose members account for 85 per cent of Turkiye’s foreign trade and contribute 80 per cent of corporate tax revenue, said on Tuesday that it was working for national interests.
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