Labour MP Afzal Khan has stepped down as the United Kingdom’s trade envoy to Turkey following sharp criticism of his recent visit to the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The UK does not recognise the territory, which has been under Turkish military occupation since the 1974 invasion of Cyprus.
The MP for Manchester Rusholme also held talks with Turkish-Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, a move that the Cypriot government labelled “absolutely condemnable and unacceptable.”
Personal Trip Sparks Political Fallout
Mr. Khan explained that he funded the trip himself, visiting his nephew and receiving an honorary degree from an academic institution. He stressed that the visit took place “in a personal capacity during the parliamentary recess” and was not connected to his role as trade envoy.
In his resignation letter to the Prime Minister, he wrote that stepping down was “best at this time so as not to distract from the hard work the government is doing to secure the best possible trade deals for this country.”
Calls for Resignation Intensify
The resignation followed mounting pressure from both government and opposition figures. Shadow foreign minister Wendy Morton said Sir Keir Starmer should have dismissed Mr. Khan sooner, while Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel had earlier demanded his resignation.
Christos Karaolis, President of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, described Khan’s visit to northern Cyprus as “deeply inappropriate and unacceptable,” adding that his position was “untenable.”
Government Confirms Departure
A government spokesperson confirmed that Mr. Khan had left his position as Trade Envoy to the Republic of Türkiye. The controversy also reignited debate over the visits of other British parliamentarians to northern Cyprus, with Khan noting that around 20 MPs had travelled there without facing similar criticism.
