At least 30 children, most of them British, may 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 IVF donor scandal has raised serious concerns among families who say they carefully chose anonymous donors based on characteristics including medical history, appearance, education, personality and hobbies, only to later question whether those donors were actually used.
Half of the 30 cases identified by the investigation are linked to Dogus IVF Centre, where several members of staff were involved in treating patients who now suspect they were given different donors.
IVF donor scandal expands in northern Cyprus
The BBC previously reported seven suspected cases earlier this year, but additional families have since come forward with similar accounts. Eleven of the 30 children have undergone commercial DNA testing, with results showing genetic ancestry from Turkey or neighbouring countries.
The findings suggest that the donors selected by their parents may not have been used. Most of the children who underwent DNA testing were conceived through IVF between 2012 and 2024 at Dogus.
The cases have left families uncertain about their children’s biological origins and the medical histories of their actual donors.
Laura Bridgens, founder of Donor Conceived UK, described the reports as deeply troubling and said people conceived through donor treatment have a fundamental right to know about their origins.
Northern Cyprus is a popular destination for British patients seeking fertility treatment because clinics offer relatively low prices, high success rates and access to a wide selection of donors. However, the territory is outside the European Union’s regulatory framework and its fertility clinics are loosely regulated.
British mother discovers suspected wrong donor
One of the families affected is Rachel, who underwent treatment at Dogus in 2012. She selected an anonymous Danish donor through Cryos International, the world’s largest sperm bank, after being attracted by the possibility that her future child could potentially identify the donor at the age of 18.
Rachel paid about €4,000 for the IVF package, which included donor sperm. She later became concerned when clinic staff repeatedly failed to provide medical documentation confirming that the selected donor’s sperm had been used.
After her son Jonah was born, his appearance also prompted Rachel to question whether the chosen donor had been used. Years later, DNA testing indicated that Jonah was biologically related to Rachel but did not have the ancestry expected from the selected Danish donor.
Cryos subsequently told the BBC that it had no record of ever delivering sperm to Dogus, despite the clinic advertising its relationship with the sperm bank as part of its fertility services.
Rachel said the discovery did not change the love she has for her son, but she was distressed that he might have lost the opportunity to identify his biological father in the future.
She also fears that the same donor could have been used for other IVF patients, potentially leaving Jonah with unknown biological siblings.
Experts question whether errors were accidental IVF donor scandal
Fertility experts who reviewed the investigation expressed concern over the number of suspected cases. They said the accidental use of an incorrect donor is extremely rare and suggested that multiple incidents could indicate negligence or deliberate deception.
The British Fertility Society described the situation as potentially indicating a “systemic problem” extending beyond an individual doctor or clinic.
Of the 15 cases connected to Dogus, three staff members were repeatedly involved: clinic owner Dr Sevket Alpturk, doctor Dr Firdevs Uguz Tip and patient coordinator Julie Hodson.
Alpturk was identified by the northern Cypriot government as the clinic’s owner and responsible manager, with responsibility for signing off procedures. Six children linked to patients treated by him are among those whose parents have raised concerns. He has not responded to the BBC’s questions.
Firdevs treated nine other children connected to Dogus and has denied misleading patients. She said Alpturk was responsible for approving procedures at the clinic.
After leaving Dogus in 2015, Firdevs was involved in nine further cases at two other clinics, most of them at Miracle IVF, which she now runs. She said the clinic complies with the law and that patients sign consent forms explaining donor selection. However, several parents told the BBC they were not adequately informed.
Cryos blacklists Dogus IVF clinic
Cryos International has also become a significant part of the investigation. The sperm bank told the BBC that it blacklisted Dogus in 2016 after concerns that the clinic had failed to order sperm for a patient despite telling the patient that it would do so.
Cryos chief executive Ole Schou said he was shocked by the number of families who could potentially have been affected.
The sperm bank has since suspended its relationship with Firdevs and Miracle IVF while the northern Cyprus government investigation continues.
Firdevs has said she was cleared of breaking any laws, although the BBC said it has been unable to independently confirm that claim with the territory’s Ministry of Health.
Northern Cyprus’s Ministry of Health previously said it had launched an official investigation into the allegations, but it has not provided further information despite repeated requests.
Families left searching for answers IVF donor scandal
The investigation has left affected families facing difficult questions about their children’s biological origins and potential genetic medical risks.
For Jonah, DNA testing revealed Turkish and southern European ancestry rather than the Danish background his mother had expected. Rachel said her son was fascinated by learning about his heritage but stressed that what happened remained deeply troubling.
“Even so, what happened is not OK,” she said. “It’s a huge deal and could have been absolutely traumatising for him.”
The UK’s Foreign Office has also updated its travel advice, warning that fertility treatment in northern Cyprus carries risks because of the lack of regulation and encouraging people considering treatment there to conduct thorough research.
The full scale of the alleged donor mix-ups remains unclear, and it may never be established who was ultimately responsible for the suspected use of incorrect sperm or egg donors.
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