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Turkish Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis referred to the issues related to Armenia and Armenians in his interview with German “Der Spiegel”. Hurriyet issued some parts of the interview and those we will present herewith:

- Mr. Bagis, why does Turkey still need a minister for European Union affairs? Isn't Europe a dead issue in your country?

- Absolutely not. My government is investing more energy in the reform process than any other government. In 2013 we will be ready for accession.

- Only 17 percent of Germans support Turkish membership in the EU.

- Believe me, one day Europeans will have to appeal to the Turkish public to support EU membership. Europe has many problems. Tell me, for example, how the EU plans to solve its energy crisis without Turkish help? A large part of the future energy resources Europe needs will flow through Turkey. And tell me how you are going to solve your economic and demographic problems? The average age in Europe is 40, while in Turkey it is 28. Where are you going to get your work force from? Who is supposed to pay your pensions?

- What options do you have if the Americans do, in the end, recognize the genocide officially? Would you want to close the Incirlik airbase? Leave NATO?

- I will leave that up to your readers' imagination. But allow me to remind you of one thing: Seventy percent of the logistical support for the Iraq deployment comes through Incirlik.

- If you dont accept the word "genocide," then how can you have a "Genocide Museum" in the city of Igdir in eastern Turkey?

- That's very easy: Every action leads to a reaction. But I don't want to rule out the possibility that, someday, this museum could be transformed into a "Museum of Coexistance" or a "Museum of Mutual Pain." I do not want to deny that the Armenians went through very difficult times ...

- Is Turkey worried the Armenians will demand reparations?

- You know, there are an estimated 100,000 illegal Armenian immigrants in our country, who work here providing care for the elderly and children. For me, this shows that there is no hate between our people. On the contrary: we are attempting to achieve rapprochement, there is a peace process between our countries … We want good neighborly relations, also with Armenia.