Turkish Cypriots request ‘concrete information’ from BBC over IVF reports

The Turkish Cypriot authorities have requested “concrete information” from the BBC over reports that as many as 30 children may have been conceived through in vitro fertilisation using the wrong sperm or egg donors at clinics in northern Cyprus, ‘health minister’ Hakan Dincyurek said on Friday.

“A foreign media outlet came forward with an allegation which resonated globally. From the very beginning, we considered this allegation to be a tip-off, took it seriously, and began investigating. Months ago, I personally sent them a letter,” he told Kibris TV.

He added that the authorities had also “informed them that we would share the findings with the public once the investigations reached a certain stage”.

Regarding this week’s report that the number of affected children may be as high as 30, he said that while this was mentioned by the BBC, “information regarding the children and their families has not been provided to the ministry”, and that as such, the authorities have since sent the BBC another letter requesting more information.

“Around 30 children are mentioned, and it is claimed that the families have, or may have evidence. However, the names of the children and their families are not available. We said, ‘give us these names and the concrete information you clearly have’,” he said.

He added that “if it is found that an error was made regarding a specific person, this needs to be conveyed to the ministry so that we can deepen our investigation”.

On the next steps regarding the Turkish Cypriot authorities’ investigation into the matter, he stressed that direct contact with the impacted families will be necessary to determine whether they were in fact misled by the IVF centres.

“You cannot conduct genetic testing on a child simply because a media outlet requests it, without the consent of, a complaint from, or a request made by the individual in question. This is a very serious matter concerning personal data and bodily integrity. An official complaint or letter requesting an investigation must be received by the ministry,” he said.

He added that the authorities have “conveyed this” to the BBC.

Nonetheless, he stressed that IVF centres in northern Cyprus are regularly inspected.

“We routinely and rigorously inspect all IVF centres. Inspections were carried out yesterday, and will continue today and tomorrow. We are examining whether documents, files, and records are being kept properly. Inspections have also been carried out at the centres in question, and our investigation is ongoing,” he said.

On this front, he added that “if there is wrongdoing, it is our duty to identify it and take the necessary action”, and stressed that “we are determined in this regard”.

“The TRNC is a state governed by the rule of law. We must take steps based on the law, the regulations, and the concrete facts before us. We are doing what is necessary, and we will share the results with the public once the process is complete,” he said.

On Thursday, the ‘health ministry’ had called on people who believe their children have been conceived through IVF using the wrong sperm or egg donors to contact it directly so as to allow it to investigated the allegations made against the clinics.

“Families in the TRNC who have undergone IVF treatment through sperm or egg donation at any centre and who have doubts or concerns about the treatment process, information about the donor used, or the genetic origin of their child are strongly urged to contact the TRNC health ministry,” it said.

The BBC had reported on Tuesday that at least 30 children have been conceived through IVF treatment using the wrong sperm or egg donors at clinics in northern Cyprus.

In all cases, it said that the children’s parents “carefully selected anonymous donors based in information such as their medical history, appearance, personality, education, and hobbies”, but that “they have concerns that the requested sperm and egg donors may not have been used in their fertility treatments”.

Half of these reported cases concern children born from procedures undertaken at the Dogus IVF Centre, which is located in the northern Nicosia suburb of Neapolis.

The BBC reported that the Dogus IVF Centre has been blacklisted by the world’s largest sperm bank, Cryos International, since 2016, and quoted one of the impacted children’s mothers, named only as “Rachel”, as having said that “it’s absolutely scandalous” after learning that she had received the wrong sperm donor from the clinic.