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Eight professional medical organizations in Turkey have denounced the refugee crisis and war policies that have ensued Russia's invasion of Ukraine and said "War kills, peace saves lives" in a joint statement. Referring to the principle of "medical neutrality" in the Geneva Convention, the medical organizations have called for an immediate end to war.
Emphasis on 'medical neutrality'
Their statement briefly reads as follows:
"Unfortunately, humanity has been witnessing yet another war in its history and, besides, we are watching the losses of lives, the lives that are left behind, grief and sorrow from our protected lives.
It is obvious that this war will have no winner and people, animals, biodiversity, air, water and, thus, the entire world will pay the price for the leaders' irresponsibility. While war makes an attempt on the lives of all living beings and nature, the arms companies that test and promote their newly developed weapons will think that they win.
"In our planet that has recently experienced the burning effect of nuclear weapons, there are still fears that nuclear power plants may possibly explode, leading to the formation of radiation clouds, and there are even talks of using nuclear weapons.
"While people are fearing for their lives in shelters under bombardments of war, hundreds of thousands of people rush to Ukraine's neighboring countries and casualties and disabilities arise, it is unthinkable that health laborers, who aim to save lives, stay silent to this.
As the professional medical and labor organizations of our country, we call out for an end to wars and establishment of peace as soon as possible so that deaths, injuries and disabilities do not occur as a result of explosions; people's health is not undermined by hardships of housing, heating and food; the number of refugees who are made unable to find housing away from their home country does not increase; and nature, which already experiences the climate crisis, does not come to any more harm; we once again reiterate that war is a public health problem.
"We call on the entire world to ensure that healthcare laborers, who do their jobs by risking their lives to save humans' lives and to alleviate their pain in conflict regions, hospitals, ambulances, infirmaries and all places and people who offer healthcare services do not come under fire, they are protected and not prevented from fulfilling their duties.
"International principles and the medical neutrality in the Geneva Convention must be observed. All medical professional groups in the war zone must be respected within the context of human rights."
'Stop the war'
Concluding their statement, the medical organizations have recalled that their duty is to protect humans' health and ecosystem and to struggle against environmental pollution and expressed solidarity with the people and healthcare workers aggrieved by the war. The organizations have also called on all sides of the war to stop the war immediately.
The undersigned organizations: Turkish Medical Association (TTB), Turkish Dental Association, Health and Social Service Laborers Union (SES), Progressive Health Workers Union, Turkish Nurses Association, Turkish Psychological Association, All Radiology Technicians and Technicians Association, Social Workers Association (EMK/SD)
