British Labor MP Afzal Khan has resigned as the UK’s trade envoy to Turkey after backlash over his visit to the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus.
“Khan has stepped down from his role as the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Turkey,” a Downing Street spokesperson confirmed.
Khan, appointed in January, said in his resignation letter that it was “best to stand down at this time so not to distract from the hard work the government is doing.” He added that his trip was private, taken during Parliament’s summer recess.
The visit sparked outrage after Khan was photographed with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar. British and Cypriot officials stressed the territory is not recognized internationally. Cyprus called his actions “absolutely condemnable and unacceptable.”
Christos Karaolis, president of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, welcomed Khan’s resignation, calling his trip “highly inappropriate and unacceptable.”
“His actions undermined the UK’s long-standing foreign policy on Cyprus, violated international law and disrespected the lived experiences of the Cypriot community in the UK,” he added.
The Cypriot Foreign Ministry also welcomed the move, describing it as “an important development” with particular significance at this sensitive time in reunification talks.