(ATR) A leader of the Istanbul bid for 2020 responds to doping bans for 31 more Turkish athletes.
The Turkish Athletics Federation announced the suspensions Monday. All have been suspended for two years apiece for failing drugs tests. Three and possibly more of those banned are known to have taken part in the London Olympics.
The suspensions were expected, after reports that up to 30 Turkish athletes had failed tests on their "A" urine samples as part of an anti-doping operation in the build-up to the Mersin Mediterranean Games held in June. The TAF did not detail anything about the doping violations of the athletes.
Only last week the IAAF confirmed that nine Turkish athletes had been given bans for using anabolic steroids. The TAF has not completed its investigations into doping allegations leveled at Asli Cakir Alptekin, who won gold in the women's 1,500-meters at the London Olympics.
Turkish NOC president Uğur Erdener, a key figure on the Istanbul 2020 bid team, suggested the long list of suspensions was "a clear signal of how seriously Turkey is taking the global issue of doping".
Turkish IOC member Erdener added: "The athletes were found to be in violation of Turkey’s strict anti-doping laws following testing undertaken by the Turkish anti-doping authority (TADA).
"TADA conducted the testseither as part of their own anti-doping programmes, or in conjunction with the IAAF and WADA. This work is part of a concerted, and much more aggressive, anti-doping policy in Turkey that has been in place for over six months and will be further reinforced with the re-accreditation of the WADA licenced anti-doping laboratory in Ankara later this year."
On Friday, Mehmet Terzi stepped down as head of the Turkish Athletics Federation in the fall-out from a string of doping scandals. With the 31 positives announced Monday, it means at least 50 Turkish athletes have now failed drugs tests since the start of the year.
"I look forward to working closely with the new incoming chairman of Turkish athletics who I will expect to aggressively seek out and expel all athletes who cheat using performance-enhancing drugs," Erdener said.
"This will be supported by an intensive education program aimed at athletes and their entourages, and students in schools and colleges across Turkey. Led by the Turkish Government, Turkey has zero-tolerance for doping and it is our intention to have clean, young athletes competing on the international sporting stage in the future."
Reported by Mark Bisson
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