Turkish Defense Minister calls Cyprus invasion ‘peace operation,’ ahead of anniversary

With the 50th anniversary of Turkey's bloody invasion of Cyprus coming up on July 20, Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler on Tuesday said his country is preparing to celebrate what he said was a "peace operation" on the divided Eastern Mediterranean island.

"Proof of just how justified and essential this operation was, which we carried out as a guarantor power within the context of international law, is evidenced by the security environment that was created and which continues today," Guler said during a video conference of Turkish defense and security officials.

He went on to say that Ankara's stance towards a two-state solution for the divided island and its support for Turkey's "kinsmen," "will continue."