March 15, 2010 -- Turkish authorities have moved to ban women travelling abroad to sperm clinics to get pregnant via artificial insemination. The Turkish medical establishment has long campaigned against the practice and leading figures have voiced suspicions of sperm donations on religious and nationalistic grounds. Many of the fewer than 100 or so women who travel abroad to achieve pregnancy go to neighbouring Greece, which has a long history of conflict with Turkey.

New regulations on artificial insemination posted in the Official Gazette included a provision prohibiting women from going abroad for a service that is not available at home. Sperm donation is banned in Turkey. Clinics in Turkey were previously only allowed to provide consultancy services and prepare the donor and recipient with the necessary drug protocol. A full psychological evaluation was also required of all couples considering donation.

The new restrictions will prevent clinics acting as agencies for foreign facilities within Turkey. The new regulations published by the health ministry makes reference to an article in the criminal code that forbids Turkish citizens from concealing the paternity of a child. Despite its strict laws, Turkey has become a destination for European couples seeking fertility treatment in recent years. Clinics have been accused of allowing foreign parents to select the sex of their child, a practice that is illegal in most of Europe.