At least 30 children, most of them born to British parents, are feared to have been conceived through IVF treatment in northern Cyprus using sperm or egg donors other than those chosen by their parents, according to a BBC News investigation.
The parents involved say they selected anonymous donors using profiles that included medical histories, appearance, education, personality and interests. Many were told they would receive screened donors from Western Europe, but later became concerned that the donors requested may not have been used.
Eleven of the 30 children have undergone commercial DNA testing, with results indicating ancestry from Turkey or nearby countries. The findings have led families to question whether the donors they selected were used in their treatment. The BBC said most of the children who took DNA tests were conceived between 2012 and 2024 at Dogus IVF Centre.
Concerns centred on Dogus clinic
Fifteen of the cases identified by the investigation are linked to Dogus IVF Centre. Three people who worked there were involved in the care of many of the affected patients: clinic owner and responsible manager Dr Sevket Alpturk, doctor Firdevs Uguz Tip, known professionally as Dr Firdevs, and patient co-ordinator Julie Hodson.
Dr Alpturk treated the parents of six children whose families have told the BBC they suspect incorrect sperm or egg donors were used. He did not respond to the broadcaster’s questions. Dr Firdevs treated the parents of nine other children linked to Dogus. She denied misleading patients and said Dr Alpturk was responsible for approving procedures at the clinic.
Julie Hodson was a principal contact for many British patients at Dogus. The BBC reported that she told patients in emails that Dr Firdevs would arrange sperm orders from Danish sperm bank Cryos International. Dr Firdevs told the BBC that procuring sperm was not part of her role and that she did not know patients were being told otherwise. Hodson did not respond to requests for comment.
One patient, Rachel, said she selected a Danish donor through Cryos in 2012 after choosing Dogus for treatment. She said her son Jonah’s DNA results showed he was biologically related to her, but indicated that the selected donor was not his biological father. Rachel said she was particularly distressed that Jonah may have lost the opportunity to identify or contact the donor selected for him when he reaches adulthood.
Sperm bank action and official investigation
Cryos told the BBC it had no record of delivering sperm to Dogus, despite the clinic advertising its connection with the sperm bank. Cryos chief executive Ole Schou said he was shocked by the number of families who may be affected.
The sperm bank said it had blacklisted Dogus in 2016 after concerns that the clinic had failed to order Cryos sperm for a patient despite saying that it would. Cryos has also suspended its work with Dr Firdevs and Miracle IVF, the clinic she now runs, until an investigation by northern Cyprus authorities is completed.
Dr Firdevs was also involved in nine further cases at two clinics after leaving Dogus in 2015, most of them at Miracle IVF. She said the clinic has complied with the law and that patients sign consent forms explaining donor selection. Several parents told the BBC they had not been properly informed. Dr Firdevs also said she had been cleared of legal breaches, though the BBC said it could not verify that assertion with the territory’s Ministry of Health.
Northern Cyprus’ Ministry of Health said earlier this year that it had opened an official investigation after the BBC first reported seven suspected cases. The ministry has not provided further information in response to repeated requests, according to the broadcaster. Fertility experts consulted by the BBC said repeated incorrect-donor cases could point to negligence or deception, while the British Fertility Society described the allegations as suggesting a wider systemic problem.
Source: BBC News
