Türkiye has launched investigations into seven companies over allegations that they used automated software to secure Schengen visa appointments and resell them for profit, media reports said on Wednesday.

The issue has also become a topic of debate in Parliament, where lawmakers submitted questions regarding claims that visa appointments were being collected through bots and sold commercially.

Responding to inquiries, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat said Türkiye’s Advertising Authority had opened reviews into seven separate companies, according to the NTV broadcaster.

Authorities had received 143 complaints through the Presidential Communication Center (CIMER) and 10 applications via the e-Government platform concerning visa intermediary services over the past five years, Bolat said.

According to Bolat, complaints involving payments made to personal bank accounts through IBAN transfers and allegations of invoices not being issued have also been referred to the Treasury and Finance Ministry and the Foreign Ministry for further examination.

Last week, top tourism body said Turkish applicants were being effectively "shut out" of the Schengen visa application system, citing persistent appointment shortages and alleged technical manipulation of booking platforms.

Latest statistics showed Türkiye was the second-largest source of Schengen visa applications worldwide in 2025.

Applications to Schengen Area countries reached 11.93 million last year, an increase of 1.8% from 2024, according to European Commission.

Türkiye accounted for nearly 1.27 million applications, ranking second after China. The figure compared to 1.17 million in 2024 and just over 1 million in 2023.

The rejection rate for Turkish applicants stood at 14.6% last year, up 0.1 percentage points from 2024.

For years, Turkish citizens and businesses have complained about the EU's visa system, including long appointment wait times, the issuance of very short-term visas and high rejection rates.

Turkish Travel Agencies Association (TÜRSAB) on Friday claimed that the appointment system is being exploited, alleging that limited time slots were rapidly captured by automated bot accounts and later resold at significantly higher prices.

Bolat said are currently no specific consumer protection regulations governing the pricing, refund policies or disclosure obligations of companies providing visa application intermediary services. He said authorities are evaluating whether additional regulatory measures are needed in consultation with relevant institutions.

Complaints over limited availability and the emergence of a black market for appointments have intensified in recent years.

Appointments are said to be obtained through unofficial channels and resold for between 300 euros and 500 euros, with prices reportedly reaching as high as 1,000 euros in urgent cases, TÜRSAB chair Firuz Bağlıkaya said.

Bağlıkaya said the shortage of visa appointments was preventing many Turkish citizens from even submitting applications.

"Limited appointments are opened unexpectedly, often late at night, on holidays or weekends, and are quickly blocked by bots," he said, adding that the appointments are subsequently offered for sale at inflated prices.

Bağlıkaya said the European Commission data has "proven us right," citing statistics that showed the number of Turks who were able to apply for a visa to Italy declined by 32.3%, while the number of applications to France also decreased by nearly 6%.

"These declines are the clearest indication that our citizens have been unable to find visa appointments," he noted.

The debate has also drawn international attention.

An investigation coordinated by the global journalism network Lighthouse Reports and conducted with 14 media organizations across 12 countries examined the operations of a major visa outsourcing company with more than 4,100 centers in 168 countries.

The report alleged that applicants were pressured into purchasing unnecessary add-on services, including SMS notifications, VIP lounge access and premium packages. It also raised concerns about data protection practices, appointment hoarding through automated systems, document handling errors and inadequate staff training.

According to the investigation, some visa appointments allegedly secured through bots were resold on secondary markets via travel agencies, while certain corruption allegations were reportedly not disclosed to contracting governments despite contractual obligations.