Afzal Khan, the Labour MP for Manchester Rusholme, has resigned as Britain’s trade envoy to Turkey after a controversial visit to the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus. The Cypriot government welcomed the resignation, calling it a “resounding message” against any tolerance of the breakaway entity.
Khan had defended the 8 August trip in a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, stating it was in a personal capacity during the parliamentary recess. However, acknowledging the furore, he said he felt it was “best to stand down at this time so not to distract from the hard work the government is doing to secure the best possible trade deals for this country.”
Cyprus’s foreign ministry described the visit as “unacceptable and provocative,” noting that Khan met with Ersin Tatar, the leader of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is recognised only by Turkey. The ministry added that the resignation showed “there is no room for tolerance” for activities fostering the entity.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded after a coup aimed at union with Greece. The north unilaterally declared independence in 1983, but successive UK governments have refused diplomatic relations. Starmer himself avoided meeting Tatar during his official visit last year.
Tatar decried the pressure on Khan, saying the MP was forced to resign merely for “engaging with the Turkish Cypriot people,” calling it a warning for democracy. Meanwhile, Christos Karaolis of the National Federation of Cypriots in Britain said Khan’s actions “compromised the UK’s longstanding foreign policy on Cyprus and disrespected the UK Cypriot community, many of whom are refugees from the 1974 invasion.”
