国际英语新闻：Turkey proposes to establish free-trade area with East African Community

In accomplishing the idea, the Turkish airline has already introduced direct flights from Istanbul to three EAC destinations - - Dar es Salaam, Nairobi and Entebbe.

For his part, Mwapachu said the proposal for the free-trade area between the EAC and Turkey opens a new chapter in strengthening trade relations between the two sides, reviewing the long historical ties that Turkey has with this region.

The EAC is the regional intergovernmental organization consisting of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

The bloc covers a population of 126.6 million with a combined GDP of 73 billion U.S. dollars, and a development strategy of growing up from a Customs Union, a Common Market to a Monetary Union and eventually a Political Federation.