ANKARA

Turkey's National Defense Ministry shared photos of the country's 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation on Twitter, marking its 46th anniversary.

It posted four contemporary photographs on Twitter of the landing of Turkish troops on July 20, 1974, to bring peace to the island.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus celebrates July 20 every year as its Peace and Freedom Day to mark the operation -- a large-scale military intervention to protect Turkish Cypriots from the violence that struck the island in 1974.

The island has been divided into a Turkish Cypriot government in the north and Greek Cypriot administration in the south since a 1974 military coup aimed at Cyprus’ annexation by Greece.

Turkey's military intervention as a guarantor power in 1974 had stopped years-long persecution and violence against Turkish Cypriots by ultra-nationalist Greek Cypriots.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan