UK issues travel warning over fertility treatment in Cyprus after IVF donor scandal

Local britainhealthnorth cyprusTop News UK issues travel warning over fertility treatment in Cyprus after IVF donor scandal Foreign & Commonwealth Office Main Building Relevant News UK issues travel warning over fertility treatment in Cyprus after IVF donor scandal 18 August 2026 Things to do on Tuesday, August 18 18 August 2026 Don’t let the killers off the hook 18 August 2026 newsroom 18 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has updated its travel advice for Cyprus, warning that fertility treatment in the occupied north “carries risks as clinics are not regulated in the same way as they are in the UK,” following a BBC News investigation into an IVF donor scandal. “Fertility treatment in the north of Cyprus carries risks as clinics are not regulated in the same way as they are in the UK,” the FCDO said. “Make sure you conduct thorough research beforehand. Further information on fertility treatment abroad is available on the HFEA website.” The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) offers guidance for people considering fertility treatment overseas, including key questions to ask before starting treatment. The occupied north has become a medical tourism destination due to lower treatment costs, but multiple British patients have complained they were given the wrong sperm or egg donors. While Cyprus is a member of the European Union and subject to its healthcare regulations, EU law does not apply in the occupied north, which is controlled by the self-styled “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” (“TRNC”). The UK does not recognise the “TRNC” as independent from the Republic of Cyprus. The “Ministry of Health” in the north has said it will investigate the concerns raised about its fertility sector. The UK government also notes that its diplomats at the British High Commission have “limited ability to provide assistance there.” It advises travellers to consult its list of English-speaking lawyers in both the Republic of Cyprus and the north. The BBC investigation At least 30 children, most of them British, are feared to have been conceived using the wrong sperm or egg donors at loosely regulated fertility clinics in the occupied north, a BBC News investigation found. Half the cases trace to one clinic, Dogus IVF Centre, where three staff members, Dr Firdevs Uguz Tip, Dr Sevket Alpturk and patient co-ordinator Julie Hodson, were repeatedly involved in the care of affected patients. Parents suspect they were misled; Firdevs denies any wrongdoing, and neither Alpturk nor Hodson has responded to the BBC’s questions. The BBC first reported the story in March with a small group of cases, and a follow-up investigation in April found that most of the families who took DNA tests had their fears confirmed. More parents have since come forward. Eleven of the 30 children have now taken commercial DNA tests showing Turkish or nearby ancestry rather than the ancestry of their selected donors, most of them conceived at Dogus between 2012 and 2024. One mother, Rachel, spent 13 years unsure whether the Danish sperm donor she selected had really been used for her son Jonah. DNA tests have since confirmed he was not: Jonah has Turkish and southern European ancestry rather than Danish. Cryos International, the Danish sperm bank Dogus advertised a relationship with, told the BBC it has no record of ever delivering sperm to the clinic. Fertility experts reviewing the findings said they were shocked by the scale of the problem, and that an error of this size occurring repeatedly points to “negligence” or “deception.” The British Fertility Society described a “systemic problem which transcends one rogue doctor and one rogue clinic.” Firdevs went on to treat further similar cases at other clinics after leaving Dogus, including Miracle IVF, which she now runs. Cryos has blacklisted Dogus since 2016 and has now also suspended Firdevs and Miracle IVF pending the investigation by authorities in the north. It may never be established who was ultimately responsible for the wrong donors being given to parents. Read more: BBC probe: Dozens of British families misled over IVF donors at occupied north clinics (Information from BBC News and The National) Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Things to do on Tuesday, August 18 Don’t let the killers off the hook How Cyprus fared at the 2026 European Athletics Championships Cyprus ranks first worldwide for video game firms per capita, report finds Cyprus, Greek banks shift focus from rates to growth after strong H1 New decree to target support for energy-poor households in Cyprus Cyprus drafts first law to regulate AI Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.