Turkish authorities launched raids on October 20, 2026, after Istanbul prosecutors ordered the detention of 60 suspects accused of selling access to guaranteed appointments through automated software. The investigation targets visa agencies and individuals suspected of providing technical support.
The Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command coordinated the operation across eight provinces: Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bursa, Antalya, Balıkesir, Denizli and Kocaeli. Prosecutors have not said how many of the 60 suspects were detained.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Organized Crime Investigation Bureau is handling the case. It expanded the inquiry after finding that some businesses allegedly continued operating after an earlier crackdown, while others moved into the same market.
Investigators are tracing appointment sales, customer data and payments
Prosecutors allege the suspects used bot software to seize limited appointment slots on consular websites and authorized application systems. The practice could leave ordinary applicants without access and steer them toward paid intermediaries, according to investigators.
Applicants were charged an extra €300–€400 ($337–$449.30) per transaction for promised software support. Some companies advertised visa or appointment guarantees online and on social media. Prosecutors allege some customers paid but received neither the promised service nor a full refund.
A preliminary financial review identified approximately ₺370 million ($7.5 million) in payments connected to visa and consultancy services. Investigators are still determining how much involved unlawful transactions and the full losses suffered by customers.
The inquiry also examines whether passport images, identity details and contact information were transferred to third parties. Investigators are tracing payments through accounts held by companies, business partners, employees and other individuals.
The possible offenses under examination include qualified or aggravated fraud, unlawful acquisition or disclosure of personal data, cybercrime and money laundering. These remain allegations under investigation.
The inquiry follows an August operation and an official warning
The October action came after authorities sought 49 suspects in simultaneous operations at 63 addresses across six provinces on August 11, 2026. The earlier operation covered Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, Balıkesir, Bursa and Izmir.
One account of the August operation said authorities detained 41 of the 49 suspects. After police procedures, 37 people were arrested and sent to prison by the Criminal Judgeship of Peace; four others were released under judicial control with a travel ban abroad.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced the August operation on X. He thanked prosecutors, gendarmerie personnel, Treasury and Finance Ministry units and other public officials, and said the Justice and Interior ministries were continuing anti-crime work in coordination under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's leadership.
Gürlek said authorities were acting against people accused of illicit profit-seeking and unlawful use of personal information.
“We are fighting uncompromisingly against structures that cause grievances for our citizens, aim to gain illicit profits, and are considered to use personal data unlawfully”
A tax examination covering January 2024 to July 2026 found gross money movement of 2 billion 841 million 220 thousand lira in accounts linked to company structures under investigation. Approximately ₺918 million was collected from more than 41,000 people.
Investigators found that a substantial share of the collections went into personal accounts held by company partners and employees, rather than company accounts. The companies operated under different visa brands, and investigators identified cash, crypto asset and precious metal movements. Some individual victims had money movements of up to 500 thousand lira. Officials also found applicants' personal information had been transferred to private digital systems.
Earlier consumer complaints brought ad claims under scrutiny
The Trade Ministry's Advertising Board examined six intermediary firms at its 370th meeting on June 11, 2026. Their advertisements promised a “visa appointment guarantee,” a “visa guarantee,” “100% approval” and a “fast result guarantee.” The ministry announced precautionary suspension orders of up to three months on June 16; a July 26 update said misleading advertisements from five firms had been stopped.
Trade Minister Ömer Bolat disclosed that the government had received 153 complaints about visa intermediary services over five years: 143 through the Presidential Communication Center, known as CİMER, and 10 through the e-Government portal. He said the Advertising Board had opened reviews into seven companies over allegations that automated tools gathered Schengen appointments for resale.
The questions came from Burak Dalgın, an opposition İYİ (Good) Party lawmaker, to Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Bolat said allegations of payments to personal bank accounts and failure to issue invoices had been referred to the Treasury and Finance Ministry and the Foreign Ministry.
Consulates control appointment availability and visa decisions
Demand for Schengen visas in Türkiye has exceeded capacity, German authorities acknowledged in June. European diplomatic missions have urged applicants to avoid unofficial intermediaries.
Consulates received 1,268,376 short-stay applications from Türkiye in 2025. The overall refusal rate was about 14.6 percent, European Commission figures showed. Rates varied sharply, from 35.5 percent for Lithuania to 3.5 percent for Portugal; Germany's Ankara post recorded a 44.2 percent refusal rate.
VFS Global, which processes applications for several governments, says it gives agents no privileged access. Consulates control appointment availability and decide visa applications.
