--- title: "Northern Cyprus IVF clinics used wrong donors for at least 30 children" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/health/northern-cyprus-ivf-clinics-used-wrong-donors-for-at-least-30-children" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/northern-cyprus-ivf-clinics-used-wrong-donors-for-at-least-30-children" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/health/northern-cyprus-ivf-clinics-used-wrong-donors-for-at-least-30-children.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/northern-cyprus-ivf-clinics-used-wrong-donors-for-at-least-30-children" category: "Health" area: "Middle East" published: "2026-08-18T21:05:36.478Z" source_reported: "2026-08-18T18:28:00.000Z" updated: "2026-08-18T21:05:36.478Z" trust_score: 78 critic_score: 75 hype_score: 25 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-18T23:00:44.244400+00:00" --- # Northern Cyprus IVF clinics used wrong donors for at least 30 children *Parents selected donors based on health, education and interests, but DNA tests showed different origins* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 78 of 100, higher is better. BBC report named sources and documents; 16 digests corroborate across spectrum. - Craft 75 of 100, higher is better. Quotes from affected parents and staff; clear separation of fact and comment. - Hype 25 of 100, lower is better. Headlines use 'scandal' but body reports verified claims proportionately. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - At least 30 children, mostly British, were conceived with sperm or eggs from donors their parents did not select at Northern Cyprus IVF clinics. - DNA tests on 11 children showed genetic origins from Turkey or nearby countries, not the donors chosen by parents. - Dogus IVF Centre is linked to at least 15 of the cases, and Cryos International blacklisted it in 2016. - The Northern Cyprus Ministry of Health has launched an official investigation, but no conclusions have been announced. At least 30 children, most of them British, were conceived at IVF clinics in Northern Cyprus using sperm or eggs from donors different from those their parents had selected. The parents, as reported by the BBC, chose donors based on health, appearance, personality, education and interests. DNA tests conducted on 11 of the children revealed genetic origins from Turkey or nearby countries, contradicting the donors’ profiles the parents had selected. The Dogus IVF Centre is implicated in at least 15 of the cases. Cryos International, the world’s largest sperm bank, blacklisted the clinic in 2016. The Northern Cyprus Ministry of Health launched an investigation after the BBC reported the first seven cases earlier this year. No conclusions from the investigation have been made public. Three staff members at Dogus IVF Centre, doctor Firdevs Uğuz Tip, doctor Şevket Alptürk and patient coordinator Julie Hodson, were involved in many of the cases. Tip has denied any wrongdoing, while Alptürk and Hodson have not responded to inquiries from the BBC. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests mention the specific criteria parents used to select donors, health, appearance, personality, education and interests. None of the right-rated digests report that Cryos International blacklisted Dogus IVF Centre in 2016. The left and centre-rated digests all included both details. ## Who covered it Shares of the 12 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 27% (4) - Centre: 46% (5) - Right: 27% (3) 8 of 20 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-18T23:00:44.244400+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 9 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-18T23:15:21.037Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The three left-rated reports led on the scale of the scandal and the personal impact on families. Novinky.cz and 24ur.com both carried the figure of 30 children and named Dogus IVF Centre as the primary clinic involved. Novinky.cz quoted Rachel, a mother who discovered her son’s donor was not the one she selected, saying, "Dřív jsem si myslela, že se klinika jednou zmýlila… Teď to ale vypadá jako něco mnohem většího a podvodného." The reports also noted that Cryos International blacklisted Dogus in 2016. - All three left-rated digests included the parents’ selection criteria for donors, health, appearance, personality, education and interests, and the discrepancy revealed by DNA tests. Novinky.cz and 24ur.com both mentioned that the children’s genetic origins traced to Turkey or nearby countries, not the donors chosen by parents. None of the left-rated digests omitted the health ministry’s investigation. ### Centre - The four centre-rated reports focused on the investigation and the regulatory environment in Northern Cyprus. BBC News and ANSA led with the number of affected children and the parents’ suspicions that the clinics used the wrong donors. BBC News and 24ur.com both reported that the Northern Cyprus Ministry of Health had launched an official investigation, though no findings have been released. - The centre-rated digests included the parents’ selection criteria for donors and the DNA test results showing genetic origins from Turkey or nearby countries. BBC News and ANSA both named Dogus IVF Centre as the primary clinic involved. None of the centre-rated digests omitted the Cryos International blacklisting or the involvement of the three staff members. ### Right - The three right-rated digests led on the number of affected children and the regulatory differences between Northern Cyprus and the UK. NOS and Protothema both reported that at least 30 children were conceived with the wrong donors, and Cyprus Mail noted that most of the children are British. Protothema’s headline stated, "British Parents Chose Donors, but DNA Tests Showed Otherwise." - All three right-rated digests included the parents’ suspicions that the clinics used the wrong donors and the DNA test results showing genetic origins from Turkey or nearby countries. None of the right-rated digests mentioned the parents’ selection criteria for donors, health, appearance, personality, education and interests, or the Cryos International blacklisting of Dogus IVF Centre in 2016. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 2 - high: 6 - unknown: 11 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Sözcü](https://sozcu.com.tr/skandallar-pes-pese-patladi-cocuk-13-yasina-gelince-gercek-ortaya-cikti-p350599) — Scandals Erupted One After Another: The Truth Came Out when the Child Turned 13 - Sözcü Newspaper - [Outlook India](https://outlookindia.com/international/uk-parents-allege-ivf-clinics-in-northern-cyprus-used-wrong-sperm-egg-donors-for-their-children) — 30 Kids, Wrong Donors: Inside The IVF Clinic Scandal Rocking UK Families - [easterneye.biz](https://easterneye.biz/ivf-northern-cyprus-sperm-donors-fertility-treatment) — ‘Absolutely scandalous’: 30 children feared caught up in IVF donor scandal - [NU](https://nu.nl/buitenland/6406731/tientallen-kinderen-in-noord-cyprus-mogelijk-voortgebracht-met-verkeerd-sperma.html) — Dozens of Children in Northern Cyprus Possibly Conceived with 'Wrong' Sperm - [Halk TV](https://halktv.com.tr/dunya/kibrista-tup-bebek-skandali-30dan-fazla-cocugun-biyolojik-babasi-farkli-cikti-1049647h) — IVF Scandal in Cyprus: More than 30 Children Found to Have Different Biological Fathers. - [Agi.it](https://agi.it/estero/news/2026-08-18/scandalo-fecondazione-cipro-38584916) — Fertilization: Scandal on Donor Fitness in Cyprus - [cedarnews.net](https://cedarnews.net/bbc/944553/%d8%a7%d8%aa%d9%87%d8%a7%d9%85-%d8%b9%d8%a7%d9%85%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%86-%d9%81%d9%8a-%d9%85%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%83%d8%b2-%d8%a3%d8%b7%d9%81%d8%a7%d9%84-%d8%a3%d9%86%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%a8-%d9%81%d9%8a-2) — Workers at IVF Centers in Cyprus Accused of Misleading British Parents - [NOS](https://nos.nl/artikel/2627369-tientallen-kinderen-mogelijk-verwekt-door-verkeerd-zaad-in-noord-cyprus) — Dozens of Children Possibly Conceived by 'Wrong' Sperm in Northern Cyprus - [IBTimes Singapore](https://ibtimes.sg/northern-cyprus-ivf-scandal-least-30-children-feared-have-been-conceived-wrong-sperm-egg-donors-92392) — Northern Cyprus IVF Scandal: At Least 30 Children Feared to Have Been Conceived With Wrong Sperm or Egg Donors - [Haberler](https://haberler.com/3-sayfa/kktc-de-tup-bebek-skandalinda-supheli-cocuk-sayisi-20155082-haberi) — The IVF Scandal in Northern Cyprus Is Escalating: The Number of Suspected Cases Has Risen to 30. - [20 Minuten](https://20min.ch/story/ivf-skandal-nordzypern-mindestens-30-kinder-mit-falschen-spermien-gezeugt-103619027) — IVF Scandal North Cyprus: at Least 30 Children Born with False Sperm - [ANSA](https://ansa.it/sito/notizie/mondo/2026/08/18/scandalo-dei-bimbi-in-provetta-a-cipro-nord-30-nati-da-donatori-sbagliati_df8383d5-16f0-4513-892b-7a15a01fd212.html) — Scandal of Test Tube Children in Northern Cyprus, 30 Born From Wrong Donors - [The Star Kenya](https://the-star.co.ke/news/world/2026-08-18-ivf-staff-accused-of-misleading-parents-about-sperm-egg-donors) — IVF staff accused of misleading parents about sperm and egg donors in northern Cyprus - [Novinky.cz](https://novinky.cz/clanek/zahranicni-evropa-nejmene-tricet-deti-od-jinych-darcu-severokyperska-klinika-celi-obrimu-skandalu-40593216) — At Least Thirty Children From Other Donors. Northern Cyprus Clinic Faces Huge Scandal - [24ur.com](https://24ur.com/novice/tujina/30-otrok-spocetih-z-napacno-spermo.html) — 30 Children Conceived with the Wrong Sperm and Eggs - [philenews.com](https://en.philenews.com/local/uk-fco-warning-cyprus-fertility-ivf-donor-scandal-live) — UK issues travel warning over fertility treatment in Cyprus after IVF donor scandal - [Protothema](https://protothema.gr/world/article/1866217/skandalo-me-exosomatikes-sta-katehomena-vretanoi-goneis-epelegan-tous-dotes-alla-ta-test-dna-edeixan-alla) — IVF Scandal in the Occupied Territories: British Parents Chose Donors, but DNA Tests Showed Otherwise - [capitalfm.africa](https://capitalfm.africa/ivf-staff-accused-of-misleading-uk-parents-about-sperm-and-egg-donors-in-northern-cyprus) — IVF staff accused of misleading UK parents about sperm and egg donors in northern Cyprus - [Cyprus Mail](https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/08/18/at-least-30-children-conceived-using-wrong-donors-at-norths-ivf-clinics) — ‘At least 30’ children conceived using wrong donors at north’s IVF clinics - [BBC News](https://bbc.com/news/articles/c75gv9xnr3po) — IVF staff accused of misleading UK parents about donors at northern Cyprus clinics ## Questions **How many children were affected by the IVF donor scandal in Northern Cyprus?** At least 30 children, mostly British, were conceived using sperm or eggs from donors different from those their parents selected. DNA tests on 11 of the children confirmed genetic origins from Turkey or nearby countries, not the chosen donors. **Which IVF clinic is linked to the scandal?** Dogus IVF Centre is implicated in at least 15 of the cases. Cryos International, the world’s largest sperm bank, blacklisted the clinic in 2016 after concerns about its practices. **What did the DNA tests reveal about the children’s origins?** DNA tests on 11 children showed genetic origins from Turkey or nearby countries, not the donors selected by their parents. The parents had chosen donors based on health, appearance, personality, education and interests. **Has the Northern Cyprus Ministry of Health responded to the scandal?** The Northern Cyprus Ministry of Health launched an official investigation after the BBC reported the first cases earlier this year. No conclusions from the investigation have been made public. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/health/northern-cyprus-ivf-clinics-used-wrong-donors-for-at-least-30-children. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Northern Cyprus IVF clinics used wrong donors for at least 30 children", https://mediabias.news/health/northern-cyprus-ivf-clinics-used-wrong-donors-for-at-least-30-children