Lefkoşa / Anadolu

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus President Tufan Erhürman received Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler on Sunday.

According to a post by the Turkish Ministry of Defense on the Turkish social platform 'In Sosyal', Güler is visiting the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to participate in the 52nd anniversary celebrations of the Turkish military 'Peace Operation' on the island.

Accompanying Güler on the visit are Deputy Defense Minister Salih Ayhan, Chief of General Staff Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, Naval Forces Commander Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, Air Forces Commander Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu, and Land Forces Commander General Metin Tokel.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Minister Ayhan, Chief of General Staff Bayraktaroğlu, and commanders of the Turkish Armed Forces.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus celebrates the 'Peace and Freedom Day' which falls on July 20 each year, marking the anniversary of the military 'Peace Operation' carried out by Turkey on the island in 1974.

On July 20, 1974, Turkey launched the 'Peace Operation' on the island after a military coup led by Nikos Sampson against the Cypriot President Makarios III on the 15th of the same month.

The coup was carried out with the support of the ruling military junta in Greece, while Greek Cypriot armed groups targeted the Turkish population of the island.

The Turkish army began a second military operation on August 14, 1974, and both operations succeeded in achieving their objectives, and a prisoner exchange agreement was signed between the two sides on September 16 of the same year.

On February 13, 1975, the 'Turkish Federated State of Cyprus' was established in the northern part of the island, and the late Rauf Denktaş was elected as its president, which later became known as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.