At Least 30 Children Feared Conceived Using Wrong IVF Donors In Northern Cyprus

At Least 30 Children Feared Conceived Using Wrong IVF Donors in Northern Cyprus At least 30 children, most of them British, are feared to have been conceived through IVF treatment in northern Cyprus using sperm or egg donors different from those selected by their parents, according to a BBC investigation. The parents involved had reportedly selected anonymous donors based on details including medical history, physical appearance, personality, education and hobbies. They later became concerned that the donors they had chosen were not the ones used during their fertility treatment.

About half of the reported cases involve the Dogus IVF Centre in northern Nicosia. The BBC said 11 of the 30 children have since taken commercial DNA tests, with results indicating genetic ancestry from Turkey or surrounding countries rather than the ancestry expected from their selected donors. Most of those cases involved treatments carried out between 2012 and 2024. One mother, identified as Rachel, said DNA testing involving her 13-year-old son confirmed her concerns that the wrong sperm donor had been used. She said she had initially believed the incident was an isolated mistake but later realised that other families had reported similar experiences.

The BBC investigation identified three people who were involved in the care of many of the affected patients at Dogus: Dr Firdevs Uguz Tip, Dr Sevket Alpturk and patient coordinator Julie Hodson. Uguz has denied wrongdoing, while the other two did not respond to the BBC’s questions, according to the report. The controversy follows an earlier BBC investigation in March that uncovered a smaller number of suspected cases. The authorities in northern Cyprus subsequently said they would investigate the allegations, although the BBC reported that officials had not responded to repeated requests for an update. The scandal has renewed concerns about the regulation of fertility treatment in northern Cyprus, which has become a destination for international patients seeking relatively affordable IVF treatment. The UK Foreign Office has now warned that fertility treatment in northern Cyprus “carries risks” because clinics there are not regulated in the same way as those in the UK, advising people considering treatment abroad to conduct thorough research beforehand. For donor-conceived children and their families, the allegations raise profound questions about genetic identity, informed consent and the right to know one’s biological origins.