Aras Kaya and Yasemin Can will defend the SPAR European Cross Country Championships crowns they won 12 months ago in the Italian town of Chia as part of a strong Turkish squad for this year’s championships in Samorin, Slovakia, on Sunday 10 December.
Twelve months ago, kaya won by three seconds from his compatriot and 2014 champion Polat Kemboi Arikan who is also in the senior men’s team along with 2015 champion Ali Kaya.
Türkiye could only take the senior men’s team bronze medal 12 months ago, but they will be bidding to dethrone champions Great Britain as another member of their squad is Kaan Kigen Özbilen, who finished 10th in 2016.
Alongside Can, who will celebrate her 21st birthday the day after this year's championships, will be Chia silver medallist Meryem AkdaÄŸ and the pair helped propel Türkiye to team gold in 2016.
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Among other familiar names in the Turkish squad is 2014 U20 women’s champion Emine Hatun Tuna, who will be part of U23 team that could also challenge for a place on the podium in the team competition.
Türkiye have also entered a team for the inaugural mixed relay.
Senior men
Ali Kaya
Aras Kaya
Kaan Kigen Özbilen
Polat Kemboi Arıkan
Alper Demir
Senior women
Yasemin Can
Meryem AkdaÄŸ
Özlem Kaya
Esma Aydemir
Sevilay EytemiÅŸ
U23 men
Saffet Elkatmış
Süleyman Bekmezci
Onur Aras
Ersin Tekal~
Ferhat Bozkurt
U23 women
BüÅŸra Nur Koku
Emine Hatun Tuna
Yayla Kılıç
Fatma Demir
Tubay Erdal
U20 men
Ramazan Barbaros
Sezgin Ataç
Ömer Amaçtan
Ramazan BaÅŸbuÄŸ
Abdurrahman Gediklioglu
U20 women
Latife GüneÅŸ
Pınar Demirtaş
Emine Akbingöl
Gülnaz Uskun
Semra Karaaslan
Mixed Relay
Fatma Arık
Sebahat Akpınar
Levent AteÅŸ
Ramazan Özdemir