World Athletics has rejected applications from 11 elite athletes seeking to transfer their allegiance to Turkey, citing a coordinated government recruitment strategy. The governing body determined the applications, routed through a government-owned club, were part of an orchestrated effort to attract overseas talent through lucrative contracts.

The decision affects athletes from Kenya, Jamaica, Nigeria, and Russia, including notable competitors like Ronald Kwemoi and Favour Ofili. World Athletics found the applications shared common features that violated the core principles of nationality transfer regulations. The governing body emphasized that such coordinated approaches undermine the integrity of international competition.

As a result, these athletes are now ineligible to represent Turkey in national or international events. The ruling comes ahead of major competitions including the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, where these athletes had hoped to compete under the Turkish flag. World Athletics stated the decisions were made after careful assessment of the applications' collective nature and their apparent purpose of facilitating transfers of allegiance for strategic advantage.