IVF staff accused of misleading UK parents about sperm and egg donors in northern Cyprus

At least 30 children, most of whom are British, are suspected to have been conceived via IVF treatment in northern Cyprus using incorrect sperm or egg donors. The parents of these children claim they were not given the donors they selected, which were specified based on factors such as medical history, appearance, personality, education, and hobbies.

The issue has come to light in a recent BBC investigation that initially uncovered the first seven cases. Among the 30 children, half were born at the Dogus IVF Centre, where Dr. Firdevs Uguz Tip, Dr. Sevket Alptürk, and a patient coordinator named Julie Hodson were involved in patient care. Rachel, one of the mothers, expressed her distress, stating that the situation is "absolutely scandalous" and that she believes the clinic made a mistake rather than a one-off error.

She had been assured by the clinic that Ditto, the sperm donor, would be willing for his offspring to learn his identity when they turned 18. However, DNA tests conducted by Rachel and her son, Jonah, indicate that Ditto was not the sperm donor. This discovery has left Rachel unsettled, as she fears Jonah may never be able to contact his real donor.

The clinic's relationship with the world's largest sperm bank, Cryos International, has also been called into question, as there appears to be no record of Cryos ever delivering sperm to the Dogus clinic, despite the clinic's promotion of this relationship. The Ministry of Health in northern Cyprus has launched an official investigation into the allegations, but has not provided additional information in response to requests for more details.