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Turkish authorities have detained 36 suspects in an investigation into an alleged organized network that sent women abroad to sell their eggs for money, Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced Monday.
The investigation involves 53 suspects and reported links to Türkiye, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Albania and Georgia. Authorities identified 811 egg sales carried out by 41 women, according to details released by Gurlek.
The operation took place simultaneously across 14 provinces, including Istanbul. Those under investigation include an alleged gang leader, five network managers, 41 women identified as egg donors, two obstetricians and gynecologists, and four travel organizers.
Investigators examined telephone traffic records, financial records compiled by Türkiye’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), overseas travel information and other evidence. Their findings pointed to an organized operation in which Turkish women were directed abroad to sell their eggs for financial gain.
Of the 53 suspects facing legal proceedings, 36 have been detained, while another suspect is already in prison. Authorities are working to apprehend the remaining 16 suspects, including seven identified as being abroad.
"No financial gain is above human dignity and bodily integrity," the minister said, adding that the investigation remains ongoing.
Illegal human egg trade networks can bring together recruiters, travel organizers, medical professionals and fertility brokers to connect women with prospective recipients across borders.
In some criminal cases, intermediaries recruit vulnerable women, arrange their transport and medical appointments, and work with fertility clinics to obtain and distribute eggs.
The process can involve online recruitment, cross-border travel, hormone injections to stimulate egg production and surgical retrieval under anesthesia.
While these steps can form part of legitimate egg donation, exploitation concerns arise when women are deceived, pressured into procedures, denied meaningful consent or recruited under conditions that allow intermediaries to profit from their vulnerability.
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