IVF scandal grows: Number of suspicious children in 'wrong donor' allegations rises to 30
Foreign families who received treatment in the TRNC claim that other individuals may have been used instead of the donors they selected.
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It has been stated that the number of suspicious cases in the "wrong donor" allegations raised by some foreign families who received treatment at IVF centers in the TRNC has increased. According to a BBC investigation, the suspicion, which was previously stated to be limited to 7 children, has reached at least 30 children.
Families argue that biological material belonging to other people may have been used during the treatment process instead of the sperm or egg donors they selected. The allegations gained weight after discrepancies were noticed between the children's physical characteristics and the donor profiles presented to the families.
SUSPICION REVEALED BY DNA TESTS
Following their suspicions, some families resorted to commercial DNA tests for their children. According to information reported by the BBC, tests were conducted for 11 of the 30 suspicious children. In some results, it was claimed that the children's genetic origins did not match the donor profiles presented to the families before treatment.
One of the cases included in the investigation was that of a British woman named Rachel. It was stated that during the treatment Rachel received in the TRNC in 2012, she selected a Danish sperm donor, but a DNA test conducted years later showed that while the child was Rachel's biological son, there was no genetic link to the selected donor.
The families' concern is not limited to the debate over lineage. Not knowing the identity of the actual biological donor creates uncertainty regarding the children's hereditary diseases and genetic health history.
According to the BBC's investigation, the families of 15 of the 30 suspicious children received treatment at the same center. The report stated that a significant portion of these patients were treated by Dr. Firdevs Uğuz Tip, Dr. Şevket Alptürk, and international patient coordinator Julie Hodson.
It was reported that Dr. Firdevs Uğuz Tip denied the allegations of malpractice directed at her, while Şevket Alptürk and Julie Hodson did not respond to questions posed as part of the BBC's new investigation.
It was announced that the TRNC Ministry of Health had launched an official investigation following the initial allegations. The ministry had announced that it was investigating whether any procedures contrary to laws and regulations were performed at the IVF centers. The increase in the number of suspicious cases has brought the question of whether the scope of the investigation will be expanded back to the agenda.