Here's a crazy bit of news I just read - Turkey has made it a criminal offence for a woman to leave the country to get pregnant through artificial insemination...punishable by up to three years in prison. No joke.
Artificial insemination with donated eggs or sperm has already been illegal in Turkey for some time. Its only legal for fertility clinics to preform artificial insemination with the infertile couple's own sperm and eggs. One striking part of this law is that fertility clinic advertisements must specifically say that they do not offer donor sperm or eggs at all. This law is said by proponents to be an extension of a previous article that made it illegal to conceal the paternity of a child. Opponents and women's rights activists say that both the ban on local and foreign artificial insemination are a misconstruction of a law meant to protect inheritance.
With the passage of new ban on artificial insemination abroad, fertility clinics will be shut down for three months for even suggesting that patients consider traveling abroad for treatment. Repeated offences will result in the fertility clinic being shut down entirely.
I'm not to familiar with Turkish culture, but race seems to be a pretty big issue here, seeing as all people interviewed are very insistent that this law has nothing to do with race or racial purity and the passing of this law has sparked serious concern for interracial couples. For some reason, I had thought Turkey was more liberal than most of the Middle East. I am ashamed to say I need to read more papers because, apparently, the governing Justice and Development Party made a failed attempt to criminalize adultery in 2004, and the Prime Minister made a public call for women to have at least three children.
I am so grateful that the US's laws are as reasonable as they are, and that fertility clinics are actually there to help TTC couples. Sheesh.
Check out these source articles for more information:
BBC News
Hurriyet Daily News
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