Years later, DNA tests uncover suspected IVF donor mix-ups in northern Cyprus

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 parents involved say they carefully chose anonymous donors based on factors including medical history, appearance, personality, education and hobbies, but later became concerned that the requested donors were not used.

Half of the 30 children were conceived at the Dogus IVF Centre. Eleven have undergone commercial DNA tests, with results indicating genetic ancestry from Turkey or surrounding countries, suggesting that the donors selected by their parents may not have been used.

The children were conceived through IVF between 2012 and 2024, with the majority of those tested linked to Dogus.

Rachel, one of the mothers, said she recently discovered that the sperm donor she had selected was not used in her treatment.

“It's absolutely scandalous,” she said.

Rachel chose a Danish donor through Cryos International, the world’s largest sperm bank, during treatment at Dogus in 2012. She said the clinic repeatedly failed to provide a medical report confirming that the donor's sperm had been used.

DNA testing later indicated that her 13-year-old son Jonah was biologically hers but that the selected donor was not his biological father.

Cryos told the BBC it had no record of ever delivering sperm to Dogus, despite the clinic having promoted its relationship with the sperm bank.

The BBC said three people were repeatedly involved in cases linked to Dogus: Dr Firdevs Uguz Tip, Dr Sevket Alpturk and patient coordinator Julie Hodson. Alpturk and Hodson did not respond to the BBC’s questions, while Firdevs denied wrongdoing.

Firdevs was also involved in nine similar cases at two other clinics after leaving Dogus in 2015. She currently runs Miracle IVF and says the clinic has always complied with the law.

Fertility experts consulted by the BBC said the accidental use of an incorrect donor is extremely rare and that multiple cases could indicate “negligence” or “deception”. The British Fertility Society described the allegations as evidence of a “systemic problem which transcends one rogue doctor and one rogue clinic”.

Cryos chief executive Ole Schou said he was “shocked to hear how many families may be affected”.

The sperm bank said it blacklisted Dogus in 2016 after concerns that the clinic had failed to order Cryos sperm for a patient despite saying it would. Cryos has also suspended work with Firdevs and Miracle IVF pending the outcome of an investigation by the northern Cyprus authorities.

Rachel said the findings had not changed her love for Jonah but raised concerns about his ability to identify his biological donor and potential genetic relatives.

“Luckily Jonah was fascinated to find out about his heritage,” she said. “Even so, what happened is not OK. It's a huge deal and could have been absolutely traumatising for him.”

By Sabina Mammadli