Istanbul-based operation targets bot network selling Schengen appointments: 37 arrested

An operation conducted across Istanbul, Ankara, and multiple provinces resulted in the arrest of 37 people. Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office investigation to the public via X on August 11, 2024.

Investigators determined that certain individuals and companies used bot software to gain bulk access to EU consulates' online appointment systems, blocking slots before selling them to citizens for a fee under the guise of "visa consultancy." The prosecutor's office has also brought within the scope of the investigation the suspects' failure to issue refunds and the transfer of applicants' personal identity data to private digital systems.

Schengen visa appointment queues have remained a persistent issue in Turkey for years: waiting times at EU embassies sometimes exceed six months. On March 10, 2024, European Parliament Rapporteur for Turkey Nacho Sánchez Amor emphasized that visa-free travel could only become a reality through Turkey's own actions; the relatively smooth passage already available to holders of green and service passports offers no relief for ordinary citizens.

The bot appointment problem has gained a formal legal dimension for the first time with this operation; previously, complaints were confined to scattered individual consumer filings.