Pressure was last night coming from within Labour for Keir Starmer to sack his trade envoy to Turkey over an unauthorised trip.
Afzal Khan is back in the UK after a trip to the self-declared Turkish republic of northern Cyprus – a territory the UK, and most of the rest of the world, does not recognise.
During his trip, the MP for Manchester Rusholme met Ersin Tatar, the leader of Turkish Cypriots, in his official residence.
He posed for a photo with the leader, giving a suggestion of a bilateral meeting as opposed to a personal visit.
After days of questions being asked by others, the Daily Mail understands the matter is being raised internally within Labour, with a sense of unhappiness as to how it has been allowed to escalate into a diplomatic spat and demands that No 10 act.
Labour MPs are also believed to have raised the matter with ministers to channel the fury of Greek Cypriots over the trip.
The official government of Cyprus said the visit last week was ‘absolutely condemnable and unacceptable’ and that UK officials should ‘respect’ their state.
The official Cypriot government condemned the ‘unacceptable’ trip by Labour’s Afzal Khan (left), piling pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to sack him Above, the Labour MP with the Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar (right)
Pressure is now piling for Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) to sack Khan
It also provoked an outcry from Greek Cypriots who have called for his dismissal over a breach of UN resolutions that forbid recognition of the territory’s government.
Mr Khan was due to receive a degree from a local university, but no announcement has been made, suggesting he may have been recalled by the UK Government or a news blackout was imposed, given the controversy.
The trip is said to have been a ‘personal’ visit and ministers were not aware of the plans, raising further questions about whether he can remain in his job.
Tory MP Sir Roger Gale, the honorary president of the all-party parliamentary group for Cyprus, said Sir Keir should sack Mr Khan.
‘The UK has a responsibility as a guarantor power to Cyprus,’ he added. ‘His position as trade envoy is untenable.’
Shadow foreign affairs minister Wendy Morton has written to ministers calling for the envoy to be removed from his role.
‘This visit risks undermining the UK’s credibility as a guarantor power and as an impartial interlocutor in settlement negotiations,’ she said.
Mr Tatar waded into the row this week by criticising the ‘intolerant statements and excessive attacks made by the Greek Cypriot side’.
A hardline nationalist who is close to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he added that the visit was undertaken ‘at my invitation’.
Mr Tatar told Mr Khan he wanted to pursue a ‘two-state solution’ despite no international recognition of the seized territory, it was reported.
Mr Khan replied that his friends of Cypriot origin living in Manchester had encouraged him to visit the island, adding: ‘That is why I am happy to be here.’
A government spokesman said last night the visit was ‘undertaken in a personal capacity’ and there was no change to the UK’s long-standing position on the seized territory.
