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

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

The investigation revealed that certain individuals and companies used bot software to gain bulk access to EU consulates' online appointment systems, blocking appointments and subsequently selling them to citizens under the guise of "visa consultation" services for a fee. The prosecutor's office also included in its investigation the non-reimbursement of fees and the transfer of applicants' personal identification data to private digital systems.

The Schengen visa appointment queue has remained a pressing issue in Turkey for years: waiting times outside EU embassies occasionally exceed six months. On March 10, 2024, European Parliament Rapporteur for Turkey Nacho Sanchez Amor emphasized that visa-free travel access could only be opened through Turkey's own steps; smooth passage for holders of green and service passports, however, offers no solution for ordinary citizens.

The bot appointment problem gained judicial dimension for the first time through this operation; previously, complaints remained limited to scattered consumer submissions.