Afzal Khan Resigns Over Northern Cyprus Visit

Afzal Khan, a Labour MP and the UK's trade envoy to Turkey, resigned following widespread criticism of his recent visit to Northern Cyprus. The territory is not recognized by the United Kingdom or the United Nations, having been occupied by Turkish troops since 1974. During his visit, Afzal Khan met with Turkish-Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, a move that the Cypriot government described as 'absolutely condemnable and unacceptable.' Afzal Khan maintained that his trip was personal and unrelated to his trade envoy role, but he stepped down to avoid distracting from the government's efforts to secure trade deals. The incident drew criticism from shadow ministers Wendy Morton and Priti Patel, who called for Afzal Khan's earlier dismissal, and the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, which stated his actions compromised UK foreign policy.