 Turkey's EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis on Thursday said that Turkey was a member of all European organizations except the EU.
Bagis spoke at a conference on "Creating a Common Future: Need for a Visionary Europe" at the University of Malta on Thursday.
Speaking at the conference, Bagis said that "we are present in the UEFA, Eurovision, European Investment Bank, and all European security and defense projects. We have to be present in the EU as well. We shared a common past and I believe that we can share a common future".
The EU is the most important peace project in human history. Countries who once fought each other can now take joint decisions, Bagis stressed.
 Turkey went through important economic and social developments since 1959, the year when it applied for membership to the European Economic Community, Bagis noted.
Turkey has a young population with a strategic location. All energy routes that go to Europe pass through Turkey, Bagis stated.
Every country that began entry negotiations later became an EU member. Certain European leaders try to convince us to give up our desire for EU membership. Yet we are patient. We have waited for 45 years to get a date to begin entry negotiations. We will not give up our wish to become an EU member, Bagis said.
-"Turkey a source of inspiration in its region"-
Turkey began entry negotiations after a unanimous vote at the EU. Negotiations may be ended only with a unanimous vote of the 27-member bloc, Bagis emphasized.
The EU is a crucial peace project. The EU would become a neighbor of the Middle East and Caucasus with Turkey's membership, Bagis underlined.
With its functioning democracy and prosperity, Turkey is a source of inspiration in its region and played a vital role in the 'Arab Spring', Bagis stressed.
Touching on Syria, Egemen Bagis said that no leader could continue to rule by killing his/her own innocent citizens.
Answering a question on Cyprus, Bagis said that the issue of Cyprus should not be a pre-condition for membership.
Despite Turkish efforts for a solution in Cyprus, the Greek Cypriot side acts unwillingly for a solution. When a commercial plane or ship of an EU member country arrives in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Turkey will open its ports for Greek Cypriot vessels, Bagis said.
As part of his talks in Malta on Thursday, Bagis met with the Speaker of Malta's Parliament Michael Frendo and members of Maltese Parliament's Foreign and European Affairs Committee.
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