Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
Labour MP Afzal Khan has stepped down as the UK’s trade envoy to Turkey after facing backlash for his recent trip to the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. This territory is not recognized by the UK government due to the presence of Turkish troops following the 1974 invasion.
During his visit, Mr. Khan also met with Turkish-Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, a move that drew criticism from the Cypriot government, describing it as “absolutely condemnable and unacceptable.” Mr. Khan clarified that he personally funded the trip and was there to visit his nephew, in addition to receiving an honorary degree from an academic institution.
In his resignation letter to the prime minister, Mr. Khan stated that he felt it was best to step down at this time to avoid diverting attention from the government’s efforts to secure trade deals. Despite resigning, he maintained that his visit was unrelated to his role as a trade envoy and was carried out in a personal capacity during the parliamentary recess.
The National Federation of Cypriots in the UK President, Christos Karaolis, deemed Mr. Khan’s position untenable following his visit to occupied northern Cyprus. A Government spokesperson confirmed Mr. Khan’s departure as the Trade Envoy to the Republic of Türkiye
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.