Aras Kaya won the men's individual title at the European Cross Country Championships ©Getty Images

Kenyan-born athletes running for Turkey in Aras Kaya and Yasemin Can claimed the respective male and female titles at the European Cross Country Championships in Chia today.

Kaya, also the European 3,000 metres steeplechase silver medallist on the track this year, broke clear in the final lap of the 9.94 kilometres men's race in the Italian village to win in 27min 39sec. 

Team-mate Polat Kemboi Arikan, another Kenyan-born runner, finished three seconds behind in second on the flat course.

Callum Hawkins, Andrew Butchart and Andy Vernon finished third, fourth and fifth to ensure Britain took the team crown in front of Spain and Turkey.

"I felt very well in my training, so I decided to compete here and it was worth it," said Kaya.

"I thought it was going to be windy but after two or three laps I was okay."

Yasemin Can claimed a third continental crown of the year on her birthday in the 7.97km women's race after following her 5,000m and 10,000m titles on the track.

Yasemin Can crosses the line first to win the women's individual race ©Getty Images
Yasemin Can crosses the line first to win the women's individual race ©Getty Images

Can and team-mate Meryem Akda established a lead after just one kilometre and they continued to extend their advantage.

Can eventually won by 10 seconds in 24:46.

Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal of Norway took a distant bronze in 25:26.

Turkey also claimed team gold in front of Britain and Romania.

Irish athletics legend and Sydney 2000 Olympic silver medallist Sonia O'Sullivan criticised the International Association of Athletics Federations rule which allowed Can and Akda to switch nationalities so easily.

Ireland's 2011 and 2012 winner Fionnuala McCormack had finished fifth.

"It's a shame really that there are Kenyans so easily allowed to represent European countries because it takes away from the race," O'Sullivan told RTE.

"I don't think they are legitimately running for the country. 

"They haven't grown up there and there is no connection there.

"They are basically being paid to run for Turkey.

"Whoever allowed that to happen in the IAAF are not brave enough to distinguish between cases where people have legitimate reasons for people moving countries. 

"For refugees or reasons other than going to be a part of a team."