Aras Kaya, "turkish" x-kenyan gets 3 years for EPO.

From Athletics weekly:

"Aras Kaya, a two-time European cross-country champion and Olympian at the Rio Games, has been given a three-year ban for doping after testing positive for erythropoietin (EPO).
The 28-year-old, who was born in Kenya as Amos Kibitok before switching nations to represent Turkey, tested positive at the Brasov Running Festival 10km in Brasov, Romania, in September – a race he failed to finish.
He was given a four-year ban but will only serve three years due to not fighting the case and instead admitting he was at fault.
Kaya won the 2016 Euro Cross senior men’s title by three seconds from Polat Kemboi Arikan in Chia in 2016 with Brits Callum Hawkins, Andy Butchart and Andy Vernon finishing third, fourth and fifth.

In Lisbon in 2019 Kaya finished runner-up to Robel Fsiha although the Swedish winner tested positive the following year and was banned for four years. Yeman Crippa of Italy, who was third in Lisbon, should now be elevated to the gold medal position.
Kaya moved to Turkey in 2015 and got Turkish citizenship in June 2016. He won European 3000m steeplechase silver that summer and competed at the Rio Games for his new country but failed to make it past the steeplechase heats.

Also at the Euro Cross, Kaya won bronze in 2018 and was runner-up to Jakob Ingebrigtsen in 2021.
According to statistics produced for this month’s Euro Cross in Turin, in the last year or so Kaya was reported to have been in the process of receiving Russian nationalisation as he has been based in the Russian city of Kazan.
His track bests include 27:48.53 for 10,000m and a half-marathon PB of 60:51, whereas races this year include finishing third in the European 10,000m Cup, fourth in the Mediterranean Games and 16th at the European Championships at 10,000m.
He was also down to run the Euro Cross in Turin last weekend but not surprisingly – with this doping ban imminent – he was a late withdrawal."

another one bites the dust. A second or third tier: 28 flat over 10000m this year.

I learn every day new things.
Bahrain should be candidat for ban because it's the country that had the most cases elite runners.

Another Kenyan popped, it's getting comical at this point. Turns out their genetic supremacy at running was just PEDs.

That another Kenyan has been caught doping is as remarkable that it rains in the monsoon season.

Armstronglivs, Steve The Addict...the bigots are out in force for this one..just as predictable.

I love the smell of genetic superiority in the morning.

As predictable as Kenyan doping - which brings them out?

yet another kenyan tests positive.funnnn.

Hahaha. Busts just keep coming. Always amazes me how some fools point to how well east Africans are doing running in Europe and US when you know damn well they're spending as much time as possible in e Africa evading testing

Shocking to see another Turkish Kenyan busted. Kenyan athletics has now been shown to be absolutely rife with doping, and anyone shifting nationalities to an unattractive destination merely for the money is inherently suspect, like all those Bahraini and Qatari transplants from Kenya and Morocco who have been banned. Add to that the long list of banned Turkish distance athletes and you have a winning cocktail.

Exactly. He finished runner up at the European xcountry championships in 2019 to 'Swede' Robel Fsiha, another East African born runner busted for EPO.

I wonder why these countries are doing this? Presumably it's to buy some 'glory' and fake medals, and raise their profile a little on the international stage. Surely they realize that every time one of their transplanted athletes gets caught doping, it just colors their country as corrupt as East Africa, and that that does more damage than good to their profile and reputation?

Aras Kaya must also have been gotten cold feet or a better offer as he supposedly was in the process of transferring allegiance to Russia?!?! I don't know how this could make any sense as Russia is already banned... maybe Kazakhstan?

I wonder if there will be more "surprises" as the Swede Bahta (who had had a brief ban for missed tests in 2018-19) was also a last minute withdrawal from the European XC.

He has a 'brother', or maybe just another Kenyan who chose the same Turkish name, who was the European 3000m indoor champion in 2015, and 7th at the 2015 World Champoinships 10000m. Anyway, they are closely tied as you can see from this cringeworthily awkward interview on YouTube :

worldathletics.org

Ali KAYA | Profile | World Athletics

Open link

Their coach appears to be a Romanian by the name of Carol Santa. He is also the coach of Chicago marathon winner Ruth Chepngetich. He also claims to have worked with Kipchoge.

libertatea.ro

Am ajuns la 2.400 de metri în inima Africii, unde e cea mai mare densitate de campioni. Și am găsit un antrenor român!

@libertatea

Iten este Mecca atleților, un orășel din munții din vestul Kenyei. Aici locuiește și Carol Șanta, românul care antrenează kenyeni.

Open link

AFAIK the "Kayas" are not related, they just picked the same Turkish surname. The most successful Turkish Kenyan has of course been Yasemin Can (4 XC and I think 3 European track titles and several more medals) who seems untarnished so far.