Laura knew something was wrong the moment she looked into her newborn son’s eyes. James had beautiful brown eyes — nothing like the light-eyed Danish sperm donor his mothers had carefully selected, and nothing like his biological mother Beth. It took nearly a decade of doubt before a DNA test confirmed what she suspected. Kate and James weren’t just unrelated to donor “Finn.” They were unrelated to each other. Two children, two unknown sperm donors, zero answers.

Beth and Laura are not alone. The BBC has spoken to families of seven children who believe the wrong sperm or egg donors were used during IVF treatment at clinics in northern Cyprus. Most have completed commercial DNA tests that appear to confirm it. Accredited tests admissible in UK courts have backed up the findings for at least one family.

All the cases are linked to clinics in a territory that exists in a legal gray zone. Northern Cyprus, recognized internationally only by Turkey, is not bound by EU law. It has its own fertility legislation but no independent regulator — no equivalent of the UK’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to inspect clinics, uphold standards, or revoke licenses.

That vacuum is precisely what made the territory a magnet for fertility tourism. Clinics market low prices, high success rates, and procedures illegal in the UK, such as sex selection for non-medical reasons. Beth and Laura’s treatment at Dogus IVF Centre — including flights and hotels — cost roughly £16,000. A round of IVF in the UK can run significantly higher.

The doctor who treated Beth and Laura, Dr Firdevs Uguz Tip, denied responsibility and told the BBC she had not been in charge of ordering sperm at Dogus. She cast doubt on the reliability of commercial DNA tests. Dogus IVF Centre has not responded to BBC requests for comment.

Fertility specialists across Europe told the BBC that a single donor mix-up is rare. Multiple errors involving the same medical team could suggest negligence or even deception.

After the BBC published its findings, northern Cyprus Health Minister Hakan Dinçyürek announced a formal investigation, saying the ministry was “fully committed to exercising the highest level of diligence.” Local MP Dogus Derya described the findings as revealing a serious supervision problem.

For the families, the announcement comes years too late. “You can’t just say someone’s something and then they’re not. That’s bad,” James told the BBC. “Identity is the main thing. It’s who you are as a person.”

Sources