Mediterranean Society of Otology and Audiology, its Vision & Mission

Prof. O. Nuri Ozgirgin

Mediterranean Society of Otology and Audiology was founded in 1987. An idea of meeting under the auspices of Mediterranean Countries was first inspired by Antonio Quaranta, Jacob Sade, Leonidas Manolidis, Aziz Belal, Moe Bergman, Hassan Soliman and Jose Barajas. The first meeting was performed in Rose Marina which is close to Bari.

The coming meetings followed each other for two consecutive years. Leonidas Manolidis and Aziz Belal chaired these meetings during the years 1988 and 1989.

After then, Jacques Magnan pioneered to get together again, 8 years later. This happened during the 22nd Politzer Society Meeting organized in Antalya and a Symposium on vestibular disorders and their treatment. Following this meeting, another symposium was held during the 6th Cholesteatoma Meeting in Cannes. A business meeting was also performed during this instance and Francisco Antoli Candela was elected as the President of the Society.

The representatives of the Mediterranean countries met together in Malta in 2001 to revise the bylaws of the society. With the stimulus of Malta Meeting, a new effort has been developed and the meetings followed each other during the coming years.

Me and Anestis Psifidis chaired two successful regional meetings one in Cesme – Izmir (Turkey - 2002) and the other in Chalkidiki – Thessaloniki (Greece -2004). Among these two meetings, Francisco Antoli Candela gathered the society members in Madrid with a very interesting topic on Neuroplasticity during 2003. I have become the new President in 2004.

The Mediterranean Region has its own friendly, affectionate behaviour which is unique in the world. Indeed it was a very good idea gathering the people having different religion and races but inspiring the same atmosphere. We all know that in the meantime the area exhibits deep conflicts creating sorrow and pain especially in some regions.

All countries around the Mediterranean Sea are represented by a member in the Executive Committee. We present the friendly relations beyond of politics in the executive committee hopefully to be a good model of having a better amity and relations that will stay forever among the countries. We also heartly wish that the efforts made by the civil societies like us, serve for similar friendships and peace among the Mediterranean countries.

The scientific activities of Mediterranean Society of Otology and Audiology showed great performance during the last decade and it is very exciting to see the coming activities of the Society. We are looking forward for the coming meetings in Djerba – Tunisia (2005), Dubrovnik – Croatia (2006), Corsica – France (2007), Antalya – Turkey (2008) and Italy (2009). Additionally a symposium on “Difficult stapedectomies” will be held during the World Congress next year in Rome.

Owning a Scientific Journal has been an important goal. We have recently agreed on an Official Publication that is called as Mediterranean Journal of Otology. The journal will be on circulation by the beginning of the year 2005 with an international editorial board from the Mediterranean Countries. The journal will accept clinical studies, research papers and case reports related with Otology, Neurotology and Audiology written in English. We will be very pleased to receive your papers to be published following an editorial process. The information concerning the journal (instructions to the authors, editorial list, submitting papers etc.) is available in the website of Mediterranean Society of Otology and Audiology (www.mediotol.org)