Turkey's EU minister says Turkey wants to join EU as it is a peace project

ISTANBUL (A.A) - Turkey's European Union (EU) minister and chief negotiator said on Thursday that Turkey wanted to join the European Union (EU) as it was a peace project. Egemen Bagis defined EU as a peace project, and therefore Turkey was willing to join the union. "Any stagnation in Europe will definitely affect us," Bagis told Third Black Sea Energy and Economic Forum in Istanbul. Bagis said none of EU candidate or member states experienced challenges as much as Turkey on road to the union.  Turkey became an EU candidate country in December 1999. The union launched accession talks with Turkey on October 3, 2005. The EU has so far opened 13 of the 35 chapter headings to negotiations with Turkey.