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 other than those selected by their parents.
The cases were uncovered by a BBC investigation involving families who say they carefully chose anonymous donors based on factors such as medical history, appearance, personality, education and interests.
However, the parents later became concerned that the donors they had selected would not be used during their fertility treatment.
Half of the 30 children were born after treatment at the Dogus IVF centre, where several staff members were involved in caring for affected patients.
The families’ concerns have raised questions about the regulation of fertility clinics in northern Cyprus, a territory internationally recognized only by Turkey and outside the European Union’s regulatory framework.
Clinics in the territory have become popular with British patients seeking IVF treatment due to lower costs, high advertised success rates and access to a wide range of sperm and egg donors.
One mother, identified as Rachel, said she was “absolutely shocked” after discovering that the sperm donor she had selected for her treatment at Dogus may not have been used.
Rachel underwent treatment at the clinic in 2012 and selected an anonymous Danish sperm donor through Cryos International, the world’s largest sperm bank.
She said she chose the donor because his profile indicated he would be willing to have any biological child contact him once he turned 18.
But after the birth of her son Jonah, Rachel became concerned that he might not look like the donor described in the profile.
He said he repeatedly asked the clinic for medical documentation confirming that the donor’s sperm had been used, but never received the information he wanted.
Thirteen years later, DNA tests conducted by Rachel and Jonah indicated that he was biologically related to her but did not have the genetic ancestry expected from the Danish donor she had selected.
The BBC contacted Cryos International, which said it had no record of supplying sperm to Dogus for Rachel’s treatment.
The revelation left Rachel worried that her son may have been deprived of the opportunity to identify and contact his biological donor in the future.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if there are genetic siblings,” he said.
At least 11 of the 30 children identified by the BBC have undergone commercial DNA testing. The results indicate that they have genetic ancestry from Türkiye or surrounding regions, raising further questions about whether donors selected by their parents were used.
Most of the children who underwent DNA testing were conceived through IVF at Dogus between 2012 and 2024.
Fertility experts consulted by the BBC said the number of cases was highly unusual.
The British Fertility Society said the apparent use of incorrect donors on multiple occasions could indicate “negligence” or “deception” and suggested the problem could reflect a systemic problem rather than the actions of a single doctor or clinic.
Several staff members have been linked to the Dogus cases.
Dr Sevket Alpturk, owner and responsible director of the clinic, treated the parents of six children whose families told the BBC they suspected the wrong donors were used.
The BBC approached Alpturk with the allegations, but he did not respond.
Dr. Firdevs Uguz Tip treated nine of the other children linked to Dogus. She denied misleading patients and said Alpturk was responsible for approving procedures at the clinic.
Firdevs later worked at other clinics, including Miracle IVF, which he currently runs. Nine additional cases identified by the BBC involved patients treated by her after she left Dogus in 2015.
He said his clinic has complied with the law and that patients sign consent forms explaining how donors are selected.
However, several parents told the BBC they were not adequately informed about the donation arrangements.
Patient coordinator Julie Hodson, who was the main point of contact for many British patients at Dogus, has also been linked to several of the cases.
Emails seen by the BBC show Hodson telling patients that Firdevs would arrange sperm orders from Cryos.
Firdevs disputes this, saying that obtaining sperm was not part of his responsibilities and that he was not aware that patients were told otherwise.
The BBC contacted Hodson about the allegations, including claims that she did not submit or transmit donor applications, but she did not respond.
Cryos International said it was shocked by the number of families that may have been affected.
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The sperm bank told the BBC it had blacklisted Dogus in 2016 after becoming concerned that the clinic had not ordered Cryos sperm for a patient despite telling it it would.
Cryos has since suspended its relationship with Firdevs and Miracle IVF while an investigation by authorities in Northern Cyprus continues.
The territory’s Health Ministry said earlier this year it had launched an official investigation into the allegations. However, the ministry has not responded to repeated requests from the BBC for an update.
Firdevs has said she was cleared of breaking any laws, although the BBC has not been able to independently verify that claim with the Ministry of Health.
The UK Foreign Office has also updated its travel advice, warning that fertility treatments in northern Cyprus carry risks due to a lack of regulation and advising people seeking treatment there to carry out thorough research.
The allegations have left affected families facing uncertainty about their children’s biological origins and possible genetic medical backgrounds.
Laura Bridgens, founder of Donor Conceived UK, described the reports as deeply worrying and said donor-conceived people have a fundamental right to know the truth about their origins.
For families like Rachel’s, the issue goes beyond the circumstances of their children’s conception.
Rachel said she loves her son and the discovery doesn’t change their relationship, but she remains upset that Jonah may have missed the chance to meet his biological donor.
“Still, what happened is not right,” he said. “It’s a big deal and it could have been absolutely traumatic for him.”
The investigation has raised questions about how many other families may have been affected and whether authorities will be able to establish how the alleged donor mix-ups occurred.
(BBC News)
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