Saturday, August 16, 2025

LABOUR MP QUITS AS BRITISH GOVERNMENT TRADE ENVOY TO TURKEY FOLLOWING OCCUPIED TERRITORIES VISIT

 in-cyprus 16 August 2025 - by Constantinos Tsindas



Well it might be the first time that the Republic of Cyprus gets such a tangible outcome on the illegal foreign officials visit to the north front and more so from quite a visible, albeit junior member of the British Labour government.

Filenews reports that the resignation of British MP Afzal Khan from the post of trade envoy to Turkey is a result of coordinated efforts by competent authorities under the foreign ministry.

Nicosia had made representations to the UK, after Turkish-Cypriot Khan, recently visited the occupied territories and held talks with Ersin Tatar.

According to our political editor Andreas Pimbishis, the outcome is interpreted by sources who were involved in the process, as a message from President Christodoulides to others who have recently visited Tatar at his so-called ‘Presidential Palace’ office.

Afzal Kan resigned the post of commercial envoy this week, having repeatedly used his position to promote Turkish interests in the UK.

The foreign ministry pursued the matter with London early on, clearly pointing out the illegality of the Labour MPs action, with British-Cypriots making similar moves towards government officials and other MPs, further putting pressure on the issue.

What’s of importance here, following the precedent of Khan’s resignation, is the fact that 20 British MPs had also previously illegally visited the occupation regime, without Nicosia ever achieving such a result. What usually happened following the Cyprus protests at diplomatic and national level is a reprimand, a slap on the wrist and matter closed without much fuss.

In a relevant statement, the foreign ministry in Nicosia described Khan’s visit and meeting with Tatar earlier this week as an unacceptable and provocative action which caused a coordinated reaction both by the government as well as British MPs from both sides of the aisle and the Labour administration.

‘The British-Cypriot community also mobilised towards this end’, the statement said.

The ensuing resignation of the MP in question from the post of trade envoy to Turkey, the foreign ministry notes, is an important development of even greater significance because of the period in which it occurs.

It sends the message, the statement adds, that such actions will not be tolerated by Cyprus nor will there ever be henceforth, any lukewarm acceptance or mild protest.

As pointed out, Security Council decisions referring to the status of the illegal entity remain active and are what the international community goes by. It also has to be made clear, the foreign ministry concludes, that political repercussions are always there for anyone that harbours, contributes or tolerates anything related to this entity.

Diplomatic circles that spoke to Filenews, stressed the importance of Khan’s decision to resign, underlining the fact that this is the first time that Cyprus government representations lead to such an outcome, namely the resignation of a foreign official for having visited the occupied north.

Khan claimed that he was singled out, noting that the 20 British MPs that came before out not did suffer the slightest of consequences. His reaction is interpreted as indicative of the development’s importance.

The resignation has made the headlines in the UK, due to the unprecedented fashion it which it occurred, with Khan stating that he had paid for the trip out of his own pocket and was visiting his nephew in the occupied territories as well as receiving an honorary degree from an institution.

In a letter to PM Starmer, Afzal Khan said it was better ‘to resign now so as not to distract from the hard work that the government is doing to secure the best possible trade deals for the country’, insisting that his illegal visit was a private one.

Shadow foreign minister Wendy Morton welcomed the resignation, adding however that the PM should have fired Khan sooner.

The Conservatives further underlined that Khan’s visit undermined UK credibility as a guarantor power and an objective interlocutor in Cyprus issue settlement negotiations.

‘It also sends a message of concern to British-Cypriots, many of which were forced out of the areas that Khan visited’, the opposition noted.

Labour party history in foreign affairs is shameful for Britain, the Conservatives concluded, also underlining the ethical dimensions of the illegal visit.