The UK’s trade envoy to Turkey, Afzal Khan, has been dismissed after an unauthorised visit to northern Cyprus sparked a diplomatic backlash.
Mr Khan, Labour MP for Manchester Rusholme, met Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar in his official residence and posed for photographs beneath the territory’s flag. Britain, in line with UN resolutions, does not recognise the self-declared state, which is acknowledged only by Turkey.
The move angered the Cypriot government in the south, which denounced his actions as “absolutely condemnable and unacceptable,” and demanded that the UK respect international agreements.
Amid mounting pressure from Cypriot groups, opposition MPs and his own party, Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed Khan’s dismissal on Friday.
The National Federation of Cypriots in the UK welcomed the decision, saying his “untenable” position had compromised British foreign policy. Opposition politicians accused Starmer of “serious poor judgment” for delaying the sacking.
