EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Volkan Bozkir said that the EU is still a strategic goal for Turkey, but asserted that the EU needs Turkey to become a superpower. Speaking at the event, Turkey in Europe: Opportunities and Challenges at the Paasikivi Society in Helskinki, on Wednesday evening as part his visit to Finland, Bozkır said that in last 10 years, Turkey has narrowed the economic gap with the EU and therefore the economic benefits that joining the EU would bring are not their main incentive, but underlined that Turkey is still determined to reach EU standards in every field.Defining Turkey's strengths as its strong market economy, young, educated population, reliable energy partner and strong army, Bozkır said that the EU needs Turkey to become a superpower: "From counter-terrorism to energy security, from economy to climate change, Europe is confronted with new challenges that need unprecedented solutions. The EU has a global responsibility to engage in active cooperation in a variety of fields." Bozkır also said that a robust relationship between Turkey and the EU would be an important factor in overcoming these challenges."I strongly believe that it is only Turkey and the EU together that have the power to influence the big picture. Contributions that Turkey and the EU could make to one another on a wide scale ranging from economics to politics, from culture to foreign policy are significant, not only for the two sides, but also for regional and global peace, stability and prosperity," Bozkır said.Bozkır also underlined that successful incorporation of Turkey into the EU would send the message that cultural or religious differences do not prevent societies from embracing each other and building a common future.During his visit to Finland, Bozkır met with Finnish Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Lenita Toivakka, Speaker of parliament Eero Heinäluoma as well as representatives of the Grand Committee and Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament and discussed Turkey's EU membership process, topical international issues and bilateral relations between Finland and Turkey.