An Istanbul court banned on Thursday international travel by two key executives of Turkey's top business association in an investigation of their remarks on democracy that President Tayyip Erdogan characterised as undermining the government.

Istanbul's prosecutor opened an investigation Wednesday into the head of Turkey's main business lobby, state media reported just hours after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the organisation of trying to influence the judiciary.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hit out at influential business group Tusiad following the start of a judicial investigation into one of its leaders, part of a wider crackdown against opposition figures in the country.

President Tayyip Erdogan accused Turkey's top business association, TUSIAD, of meddling in politics and undermining the government on Wednesday, piling pressure on a group already being investigated over an executive's remarks on democracy.