British parents have raised alarm that their children, born through IVF in northern Cyprus, could have come from donors other than those they chose. The BBC’s latest probes count 30 affected babies, most born after 2012 to the Dogus IVF Centre.
Parents say they selected anonymous donors based on medical histories and personal profiles. Yet reports from several families show discrepancies between the donated sperm or eggs used and the donors they selected. DNA testing has revealed a Turkish or southern‑European genetic background for some children, contradicting expectations of Danish or Western‑European ancestry.
Wrong sperm donor
Rachel, whose child Jonah was born in 2012, learned that the sperm supposedly from a Danish donor named Ditto was not used. She and her son took commercial DNA tests; results confirmed Jonah bore no Danish markers but did show Turkish ancestry. The clinic’s case‑worker, Julie Hodson, confirmed that the sperm order was mistakenly overlooked and never processed.
Negligence or deception?
British regulators and fertility societies have described the scale of the oversight as “systemic.” One doctor, Firdevs Uguz Tip, claims she never misled patients and that mistakes were errors in order fulfilment. A third staff member, Dr. Sevket Alpturk, owner of the clinic, has not responded to questioning. The sperm bank Cryos International, which the clinic advertised as its partner, has blacklisted Dogus since 2016 and suspended collaboration with the clinic and Dr. Tip pending investigation.
The fallout raises concerns about donor disclosure practices in jurisdictions outside the European Union. Critics argue that families deserve to know the true genetic lineage of their children, and the lack of transparency may leave many without access to their biological donors.
While the BBC reports no conclusive wrongdoing by individual staff, the pattern of mislabelled donations suggests regulatory failure. The Cypriot Ministry of Health has been slow to release detailed findings, and families continue to call for accountability and full disclosure.
