Doping claims in Turkey to be debated in legislature

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has launched a doping investigation into Olympic 1500m champion Aslı Çakır Alptekin (R). DHA photo

A main opposition deputy has brought recent doping claims against Turkish athletes to Parliament in the hopes that Youth and Sports Minister Suat Kılıç will shed light on the controversial issue.

Republican People’s Party (CHP) İzmir deputy Erdal Aksünger submitted a parliamentary question to Kılıç today, arguing that the reputation of Turkey, a candidate for the 2020 Olympics, had been shaken by the claims.

“How many times has doping use by athletes been detected in the last 10 years?” Aksünger asked, along with other questions: “Is it true that federations pass over doping usage due to profits accrued from games won?” and “Is it true that some athletes locked themselves in their rooms and some escaped from their camps when they realized that an anti-doping commission raided their camps in Bursa, Bolu, Antalya, Ankara and Adana on May 3?”

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has launched a doping investigation into Olympic 1,500m champion Aslı Çakır Alptekin and European 100m hurdles champion Nevin Yanıt. Both athletes have been provisionally suspended from all international competitions and face being stripped of their gold medals.

The cases have been referred to the Turkish Athletic Federation, which will now decide whether or not to suspend the athletes from domestic competitions.