Ana sayfa

Declaration of the Peace Conference on Middle East

(jointly convened by the World Peace Council (WPC), and the Peace Association)

Participants representing 16 Peace Organisations and Movements from 14 European and Middle Eastern countries gathered in Istanbul, Turkey. The meeting of peace organizations, after fruitful exchange of views, issued the following declaration:

Peace Conference on the Middle East

  1. For more than half a century, the Middle East has been a centre of conflict and imperialist intervention and aggression. The peoples of the Middle East have faced and continue to face growing threats to peace and security. The peace conference demands an immediate cessation of the war driven policies. Instead, the peace conference upholds the promotion of peaceful relations in the region and the whole world and calls for improvements in the social well being of the peoples of the Middle East.
  2. The Greater Middle Eastern Project is the main framework of the imperialistic plans towards the region. This project is nothing else than a hegemonic plan which aims at securing the American imperialist interest to access resources and trade routes and impose their geo-strategic interest against the wills and rights of the people living in the region. On the other hand, the growing rivalry between the USA and the EU over the region is deepening the effects of the project. All of the plans and projects put forward by the USA and its allies towards the Middle East, and the aggression resulting from the implementation of these policies must immediately be stopped.
  3. The recent US moves such as the recently held Annapolis conference and Bush’s visit to the region, which had been planned in line with the more general US plans, further complicate and sharpen the issue.
  4. Imperialistic aggression in the region is seeking legitimacy on the alleged concepts of “struggle against terror” and “democratisation”. Peoples’ resistance against this aggression is also being defined as terror. However, as all of the developments especially in the recent years have proved once again, the real terror is the imperialistic aggression itself. The peoples of the region should establish a firm stance against the false democratisation concept.
  5. The occupation of Iraq by the USA and its allies is the most serious threat today, to all the peoples living in the Middle East. A country has been devastated, hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost, and the infrastructure of the whole country has been destroyed. The Iraqi people are now facing an uncertain future, definitely far away from peace. The occupation in Iraq must end right away and without any condition. All foreign troops in the country must immediately be withdrawn. The losses of the Iraqi people must be compensated.
  6. Although geographically outside the Middle East, the imperialist occupation in Afghanistan is directly related with the region. All foreign troops in this country must be withdrawn and sovereignty must be given back to the people of the country.
  7. The militarization process of the European Union has growing effects on the Middle East, as well as other regions of the world. The active military interventions by the EU in the Balkans, Central Asia, Africa and the Middle East continue and are to be condemned.
  8. The presence of NATO and the tendency towards the enlargement of this organisation is having distinct effects on the Middle East and the surrounding regions like the Caucasus. The possible NATO membership of Georgia is going to be a new threat not only to the neighbours of this country, but also to the wider area surrounding her. The enlargement of NATO towards the region ought to be stopped immediately.
  9. The presence of foreign military bases in the Middle East, including the ones in Turkey, is nothing but a source of threat to all the peoples living in the region. The US bases as well as NATO bases in Europe also have an utmost significance for warfare in the Middle East. From these bases come war and destruction. In the countries where these bases are located, they bring environmental destruction, restrictions to the rights of the communities and they prevent the economic development of the region. All of these bases must immediately be closed down.
  10. Israel, as it has been over the decades, is acting as the most important agent of imperialism in the Middle East. Its continuing role in the Palestinian question and its attack on Lebanon in 2006 has proved this fact once again. Such activities of Israel are to be condemned. Israel must stop its aggression towards Palestine and Lebanon. The blockade against Lebanon must be lifted. Israel must withdraw from all the Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian land it has occupied in 1967. Lebanese, Palestinian and other Arabian political prisoners must be released.
  11. The Palestinian question is continuing to be one of the most important issues, which is undermining peace in the region. Israeli expansion in the Palestinian lands must be stopped immediately. Illegal settlements that mean occupation of Palestinian land ought to be dismantled. The so-called security wall, which serves as the biggest obstacle for reaching peace in the area must be demolished. An independent Palestinian State in the boundaries of 1967, with Eastern Jerusalem as its capital must be created alongside Israel. The solution of the issue of the refugees and the return of the Palestinian refugees ought to be based on the UN Assembly resolution 194 and in line with the related UN Security Council resolutions.
  12. The USA and its allies are aiming at new targets after Iraq. Iran’s activities involving nuclear power have formed a basis for the imperialist political attacks on this country. Although even US intelligence reports proved that Iran was not involved in the development of nuclear weapons, this aggressive policy continues. The aggression towards Iran must immediately be stopped. Economic sanctions on this country must be lifted. The USA and its allies have no right to interfere with the internal affairs of a sovereign state.
  13. The USA, as a pretext for its plans to construct US military bases of the missile defence system in the Czech Republic and Poland, the non-existing nuclear threat of Iran and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Its real reason is to gain ability to make a first strike without any fear of a counter-strike. This US policy of building a missile defence system has to be stopped.
  14. Another political target for imperialism in the region is Syria. The political aggression towards this country and its people ought to be stopped. Golan Heights, occupied by Israel must be liberated.
  15. The trend is towards increasing imperialist aggression against the peoples of Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the African Horn, namely Somalia and Sudan. The peace forces should have a more active stance against this trend put forward by imperialism.
  16. Another method that imperialism is trying to use in implementing its domination is the division of countries and peoples on ethnic and religious grounds. This is, no doubt, working against peace in the region. National sovereignty and regional integration should be supported against this method. The present national boundaries should be maintained.
  17. A Middle East free from nuclear weapons ought to be established, starting from the elimination of the nuclear arsenal of Israel.
  18. The Turkish military operations towards Northern Iraq must be stopped. This attack is serving only the interests of the imperialist forces.
  19. Cyprus issue should be solved in accordance with the UN resolutions, the international law and the high level agreements that provide for a solution of bi-zonal, bi-communal federation.
  20. The conference expresses its strong support to people of Serbia and expresses solidarity in its legitimate efforts to preserve territorial integrity and sovereignty over its autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija, and to solve this important problem through serious negotiations giving Kosovo and Metohija extended autonomy. Should Kosovo and Metohija be granted independence, which is against the Resolution 1244 (year 1999) of the UN Security Council and against the basic principles of the Charter of UN, such an act would open the way to a period of chaos and lawlessness in international relations.