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UK Trade Envoy to Türkiye, Afzal Khan, has resigned from his role after growing backlash in his country over his visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and meeting with President Ersin Tatar last week, according to English media.
The visit sparked a reaction from the Cypriot Greek side, with the administration condemning the meeting as "absolutely condemnable and unacceptable."
Khan’s move was also heavily criticized by members of the UK Parliament and government officials. Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel and Shadow Foreign Minister Wendy Morton both called for him to step down, with Morton adding that Labour Party leader Keir Starmer should have acted sooner to resolve the matter.
Christos Karaolis, President of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, also voiced criticism of the trip.
Responding to criticisms, Khan told the BBC that his trip was personal, carried out during the parliamentary recess, and unrelated to his envoy duties. He explained that he traveled to see his nephew and to accept an honorary degree from a local university, stressing that he covered all expenses himself.
A UK government spokesperson confirmed that Khan had stepped down as trade envoy to the Republic of Türkiye.
In his resignation letter to the prime minister, Khan wrote that it was “best 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.” He also noted that around 20 other British parliamentarians had previously visited Turkish Cyprus without attracting similar criticism.
Khan’s resignation comes at a time when Türkiye and the UK have been seeking to strengthen ties, following the launch in June of talks to upgrade their free trade agreement, with the first stage now concluded.
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