Phoenix 24
DNA findings raise questions about consent, medical accountability and reproductive tourism in northern Cyprus.
NICOSIA, CYPRUS | 18 AUGUST 2026
A months-long BBC investigation has found that at least 30 children may have been conceived using sperm or eggs from donors other than those selected by their British parents. Private DNA tests reportedly indicate that 11 of the children have genetic origins in Turkey or neighbouring countries. The families had chosen anonymous donors based on medical history, appearance, education and other personal characteristics.
Fifteen of the reported cases are linked to the Dogus IVF Centre in northern Cyprus, where most of the affected children were conceived between 2012 and 2024. The clinic allegedly told patients that it obtained sperm from Denmark-based Cryos International. Cryos says it has no record of supplying the clinic and ended any association with it in 2016 after learning of disputed claims involving its services.
One doctor implicated in several cases has denied wrongdoing and said that approval of the procedures rested with the clinic’s medical director. Cryos has also suspended cooperation with that doctor and another fertility centre pending an investigation by the local authorities. Several parents maintain that they were not adequately informed about how donors were selected, despite clinics citing signed consent documents.
The consequences extend beyond questions of genetic identity. Families fear they may not have access to their children’s true hereditary medical histories and may be unaware of genetically related half-siblings. The United Kingdom has updated its travel advice, warning that fertility treatment in northern Cyprus carries risks because the territory lacks an adequate regulatory framework and is outside European Union law.
Phoenix24: claridad en la zona gris.
Phoenix24: clarity in the grey zone.