BBC reports IVF staff accused of misleading UK parents over donors in northern Cyprus
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A BBC investigation has found at least 30 children, most of them British, are feared to have been conceived through IVF in northern Cyprus using sperm or egg donors different from those their parents selected. Parents suspect staff at Dogus IVF Centre misled them, and several children's DNA tests point to ancestry from Turkey or surrounding countries.
Key Facts
- Half of the 30 children were born from procedures at Dogus IVF Centre in northern Cyprus.
- Eleven of the 30 children have taken commercial DNA tests showing genetic ancestry from Turkey or surrounding countries rather than Western European donors they had requested.
- Cryos International, the world's largest sperm bank, has blacklisted Dogus IVF Centre since 2016.
- Three people — Dr Firdevs Uguz Tip, Dr Sevket Alpturk and patient coordinator Julie Hodson — were involved in the care of many affected patients at Dogus.
Investigation Findings
A BBC investigation first uncovered seven cases in March, and more parents have since contacted the BBC with similar accounts. At least 30 children, most of them British, are feared to have been conceived through IVF in northern Cyprus using the wrong sperm or egg donors. Half of the 30 children were born from procedures at Dogus IVF Centre, a clinic involved in many of the cases. Eleven of the 30 children have taken commercial DNA tests showing they have inherited genetic ancestry from Turkey or surrounding countries, while parents had requested Western European donors. The majority of the DNA-tested children were conceived through IVF between 2012 and 2024 at Dogus.
Clinic Staff and Claims
Three people — Dr Firdevs Uguz Tip, Dr Sevket Alpturk and patient coordinator Julie Hodson — were involved in the care of many affected patients at Dogus. Parents suspect these staff members may have misled them; Firdevs denies any wrongdoing and neither Alpturk nor Hodson responded to BBC questions. Rachel, one of the mothers, said she recently learned she received the wrong sperm donor from the clinic and called the situation "absolutely scandalous." Cryos International, the world's largest sperm bank, has blacklisted Dogus IVF Centre since 2016, the BBC has learned.
Regulatory Context and Reaction
Northern Cyprus is only legally recognised by Turkey and lies outside European Union laws, leaving clinics loosely regulated. It is one of the most popular destinations for British people seeking fertility treatment abroad, with promises of low prices, high success rates and a wide choice of sperm and egg donors. The territory's Ministry of Health said it had launched an official investigation in response to the allegations, but has not responded to BBC requests for more information. Laura Bridgens, founder of Donor Conceived UK, called the reports "deeply troubling" and said a donor-conceived person has a fundamental human right to know the truth about their origins.
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BBC reports IVF staff accused of misleading UK parents over donors in northern Cyprus
