ANKARA - The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has urged Turkey to increase back to two years a drug ban imposed on runner Sureyya Ayhan or face legal action by the world athletics' governing body, Anatolia news agency reported Thursday.
Turkish sports authorities suspended the European 1500m champion for two years in February for violating anti-doping rules, but later reduced the ban to one year.
Ayhan was accused of shying away from a doping test and trying to submit someone else's urine sample ahead of the 2004 Athens Olympics.
She and her coach have rejected the charges, but have admitted a serious dispute with doping inspectors over how the sample should be taken.
Ayhan withdrew from the Olympics, citing a hamstring injury, but the Turkish media reported that the real reason for her pullout was the doping scandal.
In a letter to the Turkish Athletics Federation, IAAF General Secretary Istvan Gyulai said that the right to reduce doping sanctions rested with the IAAF and not national authorities, and demanded that the original two-year ban on Ayhan be reinstated by next Wednesday, Anatolia said.
The IAAF will otherwise launch legal action against the Turkish Athletics Federation, he warned, according to the agency.
Turkish officials were not immediately available for comment.
04/21/2005 16:18 GMT