Turkish Couples Could Go to Jail if Found to be Using the Services of an Overseas Sperm Bank

I couldn't believe it when I read the news But yes, I read it right: Turkish law bans sperm banks and not only that: if the couple decides to go overseas, the couple could end up in jail. This are the exact words introduced in a new regulation by the Turkish ministry of health that prevents couples who have trouble conceiving to legally access artificial insemination treatment. Artificial insemination is already illegal in Turkey, but women have until now at least been able to go overseas to seek sperm donors.

I think that enforcing a law like that is horrible and it is a step back for a country such as Turkey. As already said, artificial insemination has been banned in Turkey for several years and fertility doctors were often directing their patients to insemination centers outside of Turkey. Actually it is estimated that more than 5,000 Turkish couples annually receive artificial insemination abroad. However, if the a new regulation by the Turkish ministry of health will be accepted as a law, couples that are unable to conceive naturally could face jail if they decide to go abroad and get the artificial insemination treatment overseas. Yes, it is very possible it will soon be a crime for a Turkish woman to become pregnant with sperm from a foreign donor, and couples will face punishment of one to three years in prison for doing so. It is interesting however how the government plans to enforce the law like that

Absurd. I mean what is the point of a law like this I wondered. And here is the answer government officials came up with. The new law is based on protecting the racial purity of the nation and ensuring a child's paternity is not concealed. Personally I think an answer like this hides behind religion although it is forbidden in Turkey by Constitution to have any religious arguments for a law. Afterall, Turkey's a secular country, but the government that supports laws like that has some religious roots, so I think it is their interpretation of Islam.