Two business leaders in Turkey are questioned after they criticize the government

ANKARA, Turkey — Prosecutors questioned two Turkish business leaders Wednesday after they delivered recent scathing criticism of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government amid an intensifying crackdown on dissenting voices.

Orhan Turan, the president of the Turkish Industry and Business Association, TUSIAD, and Omer Aras, the chairman of the group’s advisory council, appeared before prosecutors as part of an investigation into allegations of spreading misleading information and attempting to influence judicial proceedings, Sozcu newspaper and other media reported.

These accusations followed their criticism last week of the government’s economic policies and a series of legal proceedings against opposition figures, including journalists.

Hours earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused TUSIAD of overstepping its boundaries.

“You may miss the old Turkey, but you will know your place in the new Turkey,” Erdogan said. “If you are a business association, you will learn to act like a business association. You will not provoke the people, you will not provoke the institutions of the state, you will not try to put pressure on the judiciary.”

Turan and Aras are the latest high-profile figures to face scrutiny or prosecution in recent weeks. They include far-right politician Umit Ozdag who was arrested last month for allegedly inciting violence while a talent manager representing well-known actors was arrested for her alleged role in anti-government protests that took place in 2013.

Five journalists working for the opposition-aligned television station, Halk TV, face prison terms after the station aired a secretly recorded interview with a legal expert that the opposition accuses of bias.

Meanwhile, Ekrem Imamoglu, the popular mayor of Istanbul and a potential contender against Erdogan in the next elections, has been entangled in multiple court cases after he criticized investigations targeting opposition-led municipalities. He is also at risk of a political ban if a high court upholds his 2020 conviction for allegedly insulting members of Turkey’s high electoral board.

Several elected mayors, accused of links to Kurdish militants, have been removed from office and replaced with state-appointed officials.

Government officials insist that the courts operate independently and reject claims that legal actions against opposition figures are politically motivated.