‘Unjust and discriminatory’: UK politicians, groups slam forced resignation of UK's Türkiye trade envoy

Politicians in the UK and organizations representing the Turkish community strongly condemned pressure from the Greek Cypriot lobby that forced Afzal Khan, the UK Trade Envoy to Türkiye and Labour MP, to resign after he visited the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

Khan, who made the visit last week, was forced to resign as UK Trade Envoy to Türkiye after criticism from Conservative MPs.

The British Turkish Association (BTA), UK-based Council of Turkish Cypriot Associations (CTCA UK), Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Sammy Wilson, Lord Northbrook of the House of Lords, and the Freedom and Justice Campaign for Northern Cyprus sharply criticized Khan’s forced resignation.

In a letter addressed to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, the BTA, an umbrella group representing Britons of Turkish origin, expressed deep concern about Khan’s forced resignation.

It emphasized that the development was unjust and discriminatory.

"Khan did nothing more than what countless parliamentarians have done before him: engage openly with Turkish Cypriots. For decades, MPs from across parties have visited Northern Cyprus to listen, learn, and support dialogue," it said.

"To punish anyone for such engagement is unjust and discriminatory. This regrettable decision undermines free speech, weakens parliamentary independence, and sends a damaging message to the 300,000 Turkish Cypriots living in the UK that their voices do not matter," it added.

The letter drew attention to actions by the Greek Cypriot lobby in the UK, describing them as equally troubling, and cited its lobbying against the “Eurofighter” memorandum of understanding between Türkiye and the UK, which allows Ankara to become a customer of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, paving the way for a multibillion-dollar order of up to 40 aircraft.

Highlighting the significance of the Typhoon program for the British economy, the BTA stated that the Greek Cypriot lobby’s demand for “guarantees” against Türkiye was baseless and hypocritical.

"Efforts to block cooperation between the UK and Türkiye not only jeopardize strategic defense interests but also reveal a pattern of organized lobbying that seeks to damage British - Turkish relations," it added.

It stressed that Türkiye remains a strategic partner for the UK in NATO, security, trade, and global stability, and urged the UK not to allow narrow political goals of lobby groups to interfere with Britain’s broader national interests.

- 'Unfair and unjust'

DUP MP Sammy Wilson said: “Afzal Khan’s resignation is deeply unfair and unjust. No MP should be punished for engaging with Turkish Cypriots and listening to their concerns.”

Wilson noted that while UK MPs had been visiting the TRNC and meeting officials for decades, Khan had been unfairly singled out.

“For decades, MPs have visited Northern Cyprus and met officials without consequence – yet Afzal Khan has been unfairly singled out," she said.

“The hypocrisy is glaring: those now criticizing him have themselves visited Northern Cyprus and even travelled to territories the UK does not recognize, such as Somaliland," she said. "Silencing dialogue in this way undermines free speech and sets a dangerous precedent for parliamentary independence.”

- 'Deeply regrettable'

Lord Northbrook, a member of the House of Lords and vice-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on the TRNC, issued a statement on Khan’s forced resignation.

"Khan’s recent visit to the TRNC was conducted in a personal capacity, with the simple aim of fostering dialogue, understanding, and engagement. For such a visit to be met with hostility and the kind of political pressure that has led to his resignation is deeply regrettable.

"Parliamentarians must be free to engage with communities, build relationships, and listen to different perspectives without fear of reprisal. Attempts to intimidate or silence parliamentarians undermine the very principles of democratic representation and parliamentary independence," he said.

- 'Role of Greek Cypriot lobby is clear'

The London-based Freedom and Justice Campaign for North Cyprus also sent a letter to Lammy following Khan’s resignation.

“The role of the Greek Cypriot lobby, backed by the Greek Cypriot administration, in applying this pressure is clear. Their actions not only compromise parliamentary independence but also undermine the UK’s ability to pursue a balanced and fair policy toward both sides in Cyprus. Moreover, this interference forms part of a wider trend where legitimate engagement with Turkish Cypriots is obstructed,” it said.

The campaign described it as hypocritical and counterproductive to attack constructive relations with the TRNC while ignoring decades of failed negotiations.

- Turkish Cypriot organizations urge UK not to bow to Greek Cypriot pressure

The UK-based Council of Turkish Cypriot Associations (CTCA UK) wrote letters to Stephen Doughty, Minister for Europe, the Americas and Overseas Territories, and Douglas Garven Alexander, Minister for Trade Policy and Economic Security.

The letters condemned reactions from the Greek Cypriot lobby and certain British MPs against Khan’s visit to the TRNC, which they called a positive step that respected the existence of two sovereign communities on the island.

It stressed that Greek Cypriots constantly attempt to block initiatives, undermine reconciliation efforts, and underlined that, as a guarantor power, the UK must act impartially and recognize that Turkish Cypriots, like Greek Cypriots, have the right to international engagement.

The letters noted that despite Turkish Cypriots’ support for the Kofi Annan Plan in 2004, they remain under isolation, and urged the UK not to yield to Greek Cypriot lobbying but instead adopt an approach based on equality and mutual respect.

The CTCA also sent three separate letters to Conservative MPs Wendy Morton, Priti Patel, and Alicia Kearns.

The letters condemned the MPs’ criticisms of Khan’s visit, reiterating that it was a constructive initiative for dialogue between the two sovereign communities of Cyprus.

They emphasized that it was unfair for Greek Cypriots and certain MPs to continually obstruct engagement with the Turkish community, and that Turkish Cypriots were equally entitled to international contacts.

The letters again urged the UK to act impartially, resist Greek Cypriot pressure, and adopt an equality-based approach toward the island.

TRNC President Ersin Tatar also condemned Khan’s resignation. “For an MP to be pressured and threatened into resigning simply because he chose to meet the democratically elected President of the Turkish Cypriot people is a black mark on democracy,” he said.

The Greek Cypriot diaspora in the UK also launched efforts against the supply of Typhoon fighter jets to Türkiye.​​​​​​​