The Turkish military conducted a military display in Kyrenia, Northern Cyprus on Saturday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Turkish military operation which led to the 1974 war and the division of the island between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots.

Footage shows Turkish warplanes laying trails in the colours of the Turkish flag and warships sailing off the coast, as crowds watch on from the North Cypriot district of Kyrenia.

Turkey calls the 1974 event the 'Peace Operation', while Greek Cypriots in the south refer to it as the 'Turkish invasion'. The conflict left more than 36 per cent of the island under Turkish control.

Both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis attended events on Saturday on their respective sides of the island, exposing the continuing rift between the countries over the division.

"We are striving for a unified European state based on United Nations resolutions, without foreign occupying forces," Mitsotakis said in a statement.

In his remarks, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for the recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus via a two-state solution.

Sirens sounded in the Cypriot capital Nicosia at 5:30 AM (3:30 GMT), marking the time that Turkish forces arrived on the island on July 20, 1974.

Numerous UN-led diplomatic efforts have failed to achieve a comprehensive settlement over the territorial dispute on the Mediterranean island.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has yet to gain international recognition, with the international community still viewing it as part of the Republic of Cyprus, which became a full member of the European Union in 2004.