Istanbul Prosecutor's Office conducts operations in 14 provinces: 41 donors, 811 egg sales

The Terror and Organized Crime Investigation Bureau of Istanbul Anadolu Public Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation based on a complaint received through CİMER and conducted simultaneous operations in 14 provinces, including Istanbul, today.

The investigation revealed that 41 Turkish female citizens were directed abroad in exchange for money and sold their eggs a total of 811 times. The criminal organization was found to have established networks extending beyond Turkey to Northern Cyprus, Albania, and Georgia.

In the operation, legal proceedings were initiated against 53 suspects, comprising 1 organization leader, 5 organization executives, 41 female donors, 2 gynecologists and obstetricians, and 4 travel organizers. Of the suspects, 36 were taken into custody; it was learned that 1 suspect is currently in prison and another is abroad.

Within the scope of the investigation, HTS and MASAK records and suspects' international travel information were examined. Justice Minister Akın Gürlek informed the public about the findings.

In Turkey, egg donation can only be performed under medical indication and free of charge within the scope of the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Practices Regulation that came into force in 2010; commercial sale has been prohibited since its inception.