UK trade envoy to Turkey resigns over visit to occupied northern Cyprus

Labour MP and UK trade envoy to Turkey Afzal Khan has resigned after criticism over his visit to the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus on 8 August.

The territory is not recognised by Britain or any other country except Turkey, after declaring itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" following Turkey's invasion and occupation of the north of the island in 1974.

Khan told reporters that he paid for the trip himself and was visiting his family, as well as receiving an honorary degree from a university. During his trip, however, he also met with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar. This caused considerable backlash from the Cypriot government as well as within the UK.

The internationally recognised government of the Republic of Cyprus, which is based in the island nation's predominantly Greek-speaking south, called his actions at the time "absolutely condemnable and unacceptable". The UK Foreign Office said last week in a statement this week that Mr Khan's visit "was undertaken in a personal capacity," before accepting his resignation on Friday.

A statement from the Cypriot foreign ministry on Saturday welcomed his resignation, calling it "an important development, which at this particular time has even greater significance."

In a letter to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Khan 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."

Just last month, Cyprus marked 51 years since the Turkish military invasion that led to the island nation's partition.

Turkey’s invasion came in the immediate aftermath of a coup staged by Athens junta-backed supporters of uniting Cyprus with Greece. Currently, only Turkey recognises the Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence and maintains 35,000 troops in the north.

Talks to reunite the country have been ongoing, but meetings that took place in New York between the two sides in July concluded without resolving key disputes.