Middle East Regional Meeting
Antalya, Turkey, March 21-24, 2002

Antalya Declaration on the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict

Antalya, Turkey, March 23, 2002

Physicians and representatives from Israeli, Palestinian, Turkish, United States, UK, French, German, Egyptian, Greek and Canadian sections of IPPNW met in Antalya to address the present crisis in the Middle East.

The region is being dragged to the brink of an unnecessary war by the acts of extremists on both sides. As physicians, we deplore the bloodshed, the suffering and the legacy of violence left by this ongoing wave of killing in the Middle East. We believe that we represent the spirit of medicine and the responsibility of our profession in our rejection of terrorism in all its forms. We demand the immediate implementation of the Mitchell Report and in particular:

• an immediate end to all violence and assassinations,
• an immediate cessation of all settlement activity,
• return to permanent status negotiations based on UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 and building on the progress achieved in previous negotiation rounds;
• in response to international agreements and to President Hosni Mubarak's initiative concerning the increasing threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction, we recommend that the negotiations should be completed by the signing of a treaty creating a Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Zone Free of all Weapons of Mass Destruction, including nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons.

In the current climate of mistrust and mutual hostility, we believe that the above goals can be reached in the near future, ending the occupation and the conflict, and realizing the solution of two states living side by side based on the June 4th, 1967 borders.

We believe that the initiative from Saudi Arabia represents one of the most promising potential solutions that has been offered to this intractable conflict. We will work within our respective nations to mobilize additional support for this bold and imaginative plan offered by the Crown Prince.

Abdelazez Allabadi, Palestine
Ernesto Kahan, Israel
Perla Perez, Israel
Mary Wynne Ashford, Co-President, Canada
Abraham Behar, Co-President, France
Michael Christ, Executive Director, USA
Liz Waterston, Board Member, UK
Aly Massoud, Egypt
Maria Sotiropoulou, Greece
Gabriella Paspadiasis, Greece
Nicola Kaatsch, Germany
Neil Arya, Canada
Leziz Onaran, Turkey
Sevkiye Sagbil, Turkey
Dogu Nebioglu, Turkey
Derman Boztok, Turkey
Serpil Nebioglu, Turkey
Meliha Altunisik, Turkey

• Statement of Support for Saudi Peace Initiative