Do they take fingerprints at Istanbul airport passport control?

Fingerprinting has been observed at Istanbul Airport (IST) passport control. One traveler was held for an extended check and asked to scan their finger multiple times. The system is operational, though not applied to every passenger.

Turkish border authorities reportedly don't yet have a fingerprint database for most foreign visitors, so there's nothing to compare against on first entry. However, if someone has previously violated entry rules, their data may already be on file. A full rollout for all arrivals is planned.

Biometric passports (such as EU ones) already store fingerprint data in the chip. The EU recently launched its own biometric border system, though not at all crossings yet. Turkey is behind technologically but moving in the same direction.