Illegal abortion sector reaps $2 million in Cyprus

The recent capture of doctors in Turkish Cyprus has shed light on how a new sector earned up to $2 million from illegal abortions and attracted customers from Turkey.

Eight doctors were arrested last week in a police raid on Ada Hospital in Girne (Kyrenia) in an operation targeting a group of doctors performing abortions on mothers who were past their abortion period. The hospital was popular among women seeking in vitro fertilization, but the operation revealed that illegal abortions - performed after the legal limit of 10 weeks - were regularly conducted at the hospital for fees of up to TL 50,000 ($16,962). Reports say 423 abortions were performed over the past two years at the hospital and other clinics in Turkish Cyprus.

Turks increasingly visit these clinics after Turkey imposed new regulations to curb abortions in 2012, including restrictions on the time period when they can be performed. The doctors reportedly arranged trips for Turkish customers by providing their transport from the airport to the hospital in luxurious cars, and their clientele included women from every part of Turkey. Turkish Cypriot police conducted a joint investigation with their counterparts in Turkey to deepen the investigation into the doctors' Turkish contacts.