A North Cyprus fertility clinic has issued a detailed rebuttal to allegations raised in a BBC investigation into the possible use of incorrect sperm and egg donors, as the TRNC Health Ministry called on families with concerns about past IVF treatment to come forward.
Miracle IVF Centre, where Dr Firdevs Uğuz Tip currently works as its responsible physician, says the BBC's reporting does not accurately or fairly reflect the position of either the doctor or the clinic and has described aspects of the coverage as “incomplete, one-sided and misleading”.
The statement follows a BBC News investigation which said at least 30 children, most of them British, may have been conceived at fertility clinics in North Cyprus using sperm or egg donors different from those selected by their parents.
Around half of the cases identified by the BBC relate to treatment at the now-closed Doğuş IVF Centre, where Dr Uğuz Tip previously worked. The broadcaster has also reported a number of similar cases relating to patients treated by her at other clinics after she left Doğuş in 2015, with the majority of those later cases said to involve Miracle IVF. Dr Uğuz Tip denies misleading patients or any wrongdoing.
T-VINE reported on Wednesday how the BBC investigation had expanded significantly since its first report earlier this year, when seven potentially affected children were identified. Eleven of the 30 children in the latest investigation have undergone commercial DNA testing, with parents saying the results raised questions about whether the donors they had selected had actually been used.
Miracle IVF: allegations have not been proven
In its response, Miracle IVF stressed that it did not seek to minimise the anxiety experienced by patients and families and accepted that every concrete allegation should be investigated by the appropriate authorities, using medical and administrative records and with the patient's consent.
However, the clinic argued there was an important distinction between investigating serious allegations and presenting those allegations publicly in a way that could give the impression they had already been proven.
Miracle said neither the clinic nor Dr Uğuz Tip had been provided with patient-specific records, valid patient authorisations or other concrete documentation which, in its view, demonstrated personal or institutional responsibility for the alleged donor discrepancies.
It also claimed that official state records, the findings of Health Ministry inspections and detailed responses sent to the BBC had not been adequately reflected in the broadcaster's reporting, while Dr Uğuz Tip's responses had effectively been reduced to a brief denial.
Doğuş and Miracle are separate clinics
A central part of Miracle IVF's rebuttal concerns the distinction between itself and Doğuş IVF Centre.
The clinic cited a TRNC Health Ministry letter dated 23 July 2026 which, it says, confirms Doğuş IVF Centre and Miracle IVF Centre are separate legal and institutional entities.
According to the statement, Dr Uğuz Tip worked at Doğuş between 2009 and 2015 as a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology and was not registered as the centre's responsible physician.
Miracle IVF itself was not licensed until 18 April 2019, when Dr Uğuz Tip became its responsible physician. The clinic therefore argues that any allegations concerning treatment carried out at Doğuş between 2011 and 2015 cannot legally or institutionally be attributed to Miracle.
The centre also cited a subsequent Health Ministry inspection, saying no deficiency or breach of legislation had been identified in the patient files examined.
Significantly, Miracle itself cautioned against interpreting that inspection finding beyond its scope. It nevertheless said there had been no final official decision communicated to the clinic establishing that Miracle or Dr Uğuz Tip had breached legislation in relation to its activities since the centre opened in 2019.
Miracle maintains that sperm used at the centre is sourced from internationally accredited sperm banks and that egg donors are selected in accordance with TRNC legislation.
The clinic has called on the BBC and other media organisations reporting the allegations to disclose supporting documents where legally possible and with appropriate patient consent, and to give greater prominence to the Health Ministry correspondence and inspection findings.
It has also reserved its right to pursue legal or administrative action over reporting it believes has wrongly damaged the reputation of Miracle IVF and Dr Uğuz Tip.
Health Ministry asks concerned families to come forward
Meanwhile, the TRNC Health Ministry has taken a further step in its ongoing investigation by publicly inviting anyone who underwent sperm or egg donation treatment at any IVF centre in North Cyprus and has concerns about their donor to contact the Ministry.
Health Minister Dr Hakan Dinçyürek
In a statement reported by state broadcaster BRT and the Turkish Cypriot News Agency (TAK), the Ministry said a detailed investigation had been under way since allegations that patients may have received sperm or eggs from donors different from those they selected first emerged internationally.
Officials are now specifically seeking contact from families who:
suspect the sperm or egg donor they selected was not used;
have obtained DNA or genetic test results inconsistent with the donor information supplied to them;
have doubts about information they received concerning a donor's identity, characteristics or medical history; or
believe they may otherwise have been affected by a similar situation.
The appeal applies to both TRNC citizens and foreign nationals who received fertility treatment in North Cyprus.
The Ministry said information provided by families would be handled in accordance with confidentiality and personal-data protection requirements and would assist officials in establishing whether similar cases exist and identifying any potential victims.
It added that patient safety, children's right to health, access to accurate genetic and medical information, and ensuring IVF treatment is carried out in accordance with the law were among its principal concerns.
Families wishing to contact the Ministry have been asked to email [email protected].
Investigation continues
Health Minister Dr Hakan Dinçyürek first announced an investigation after the BBC's initial report earlier this year, saying officials would examine the allegations and that any criminal or administrative wrongdoing uncovered would be acted upon.
He also pledged that the outcome of the investigation would ultimately be made public.
The Ministry's latest appeal confirms that the broader investigation remains ongoing, notwithstanding the inspection findings cited by Miracle IVF.
The BBC's investigation, meanwhile, continues to rely on testimony from families who believe donor information provided during their treatment does not correspond with the genetic origins subsequently indicated by DNA testing.
With families now being formally invited to submit evidence directly to the TRNC authorities, the Health Ministry's investigation should have an opportunity to compare those allegations with clinic records and other official documentation before reaching its conclusions.
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