About Süreyya Ayhan Kop Süreyya Ayhan Kop (born September 6, 1978) is a former Turkish middle distance track runner who specialised in the 1500 metres. In November 2009, she was banned for lifetime by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) due to failing a doping test. Born in Korgun, Çankırı, she established herself as Turkey's top 1500 m runner with a win at the 1999 national championships, setting a Turkish record. The following year she became the country's first female semifinalist at the Summer Olympic Games. She reached the final of the 2001 World Championships in Athletics (another first for Turkish female athletes), became the Universiade 1500 m champion and won a silver at the 2001 Mediterranean Games. The 2002 season saw her reach new heights in her career: she became the European Champion, beating Olympic champion Gabriela Szabo in a Championships record time. This was the fastest time that year and earned her the 2002 European Female Athlete of the Year Award. She improved further in 2003, taking two seconds off her personal best to again feature as the year's fastest woman and winning a silver medal in the 1500 m final of the 2003 World Championships.