2 weeks ago
30 Children Feared Caught Up in Northern Cyprus IVF Scandal
Some families travelled to northern Cyprus for IVF, a treatment that helps people have babies.
They carefully chose sperm or egg donors using information about health, looks, personality and family background.
The families now fear that some clinics used different donors instead.
At least 30 children may be involved, and most are believed to be British.
DNA tests on 11 children showed ancestry that did not appear to match the donors their parents selected.
One sperm bank said it had never delivered sperm to one of the clinics involved.
Experts say one wrong donor would be very unusual, and many cases could suggest serious mistakes or dishonesty.
The clinic’s named doctor denies doing anything wrong, while other people named in the report have not responded.
Northern Cyprus has started an investigation, but families remain concerned because the area has no independent fertility regulator.
At least 30 children, most of them British, may have been conceived using donors different from those selected by their parents.
Around half of the cases involved treatment at Dogus IVF Centre, including Rachel’s 2012 treatment.
DNA tests on 11 children indicated ancestry from Turkey or nearby countries, despite parents selecting Western European donors.
Cryos International said it never delivered sperm to Dogus and blacklisted the clinic in 2016 after a patient-ordering concern.
Fertility experts called the alleged pattern potentially negligent or deceptive, while northern Cyprus has launched an investigation and Firdevs denies wrongdoing.
- Who
- At least 30 children and their parents, most of them British, who received IVF treatment at clinics in northern Cyprus, particularly Dogus IVF Centre.
- What
- A suspected donor-mix-up scandal involving children allegedly conceived with sperm or eggs different from those selected by their parents.
- Where
- Fertility clinics in northern Cyprus, where many families travelled from the United Kingdom for treatment.
- When
- The reported cases include Rachel’s treatment in 2012; the DNA tests were conducted years later, and the allegations were recently reported by the BBC. Cryos International blacklisted Dogus in 2016.
- Why
- Parents suspect that clinics failed to use the donors they selected or misled them about donor use; experts say the scale could indicate negligence or deception.
Families and fertility experts
Clinic representatives and authorities
What caused the suspected donor differences?
Families and fertility experts
Parents say they were misled, while fertility experts say the unusually large number of alleged cases could reflect negligence, deception or a systemic problem.
Clinic representatives and authorities
Dr Firdevs Uguz Tip denies wrongdoing. Dr Sevket Alpturk and Julie Hodson have not responded, and no admission that incorrect donors were used has been reported.
Whether the donor selections were honored
Families and fertility experts
Families point to DNA results showing ancestry from Turkey or nearby countries even though they selected donors from Western Europe, suggesting the chosen donors may not have been used.
Clinic representatives and authorities
The clinic’s position has not been established in the reports; the Ministry of Health has announced an investigation but has not answered repeated BBC requests for information.
Adequacy of safeguards
Families and fertility experts
The United Kingdom’s Foreign Office warns that fertility treatment in northern Cyprus carries risks, and families question whether clinics provide adequate oversight.
Clinic representatives and authorities
Northern Cyprus has launched an investigation into the allegations, although the reports say the territory lacks an independent fertility regulator comparable to the oversight available in Britain.
Key facts
- Children potentially affected
- At least 30, most of them British
- Children DNA-tested
- 11, with ancestry indicating links to Turkey or surrounding countries
- Clinic named most often
- Dogus IVF Centre
- Sperm bank
- Cryos International, which said it never delivered sperm to Dogus
- Cryos action
- Cryos said it blacklisted Dogus in 2016 after concerns about a patient’s sperm order
- Investigation
- The northern Cyprus Ministry of Health said it had launched an investigation
- Regulatory concern
- Northern Cyprus has no independent fertility regulator, according to the reports
- Official response
- Dr Firdevs Uguz Tip denies wrongdoing; Dr Sevket Alpturk and Julie Hodson have not responded
Sources
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