Bagis: "By the time they are ready to integrate, both Turkey and the EU will be very different"

Turkey is the solution for 80 percent of the problems the European Union faces today, said State Minister and chief negotiator for EU talks Egemen Bagis yesterday. Speaking with French daily Liberation, Bagis said Turkey's membership is essential for the EU to solve its energy security, defense, and economic problems, as well as address issues of regional stability and lagging democratization in neighboring countries. Touching on Turkey's EU accession talks, Bagis predicted that both sides will be dramatically different by the time they are ready to integrate.