Türkiye has condemned Colombia’s decision to relocate its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, urging Bogotá to reverse the move over concerns that it undermines the city’s internationally recognised legal status and prospects for a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In a statement issued on October 15, Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the decision violated relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, particularly resolutions 476 and 478, and contradicted legal principles outlined in an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
“This step violates relevant United Nations (UN) resolutions, particularly UN Security Council resolutions 476 (1980) and 478 (1980), and contradicts the legal principles set out in the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice,” the ministry stated.
The condemnation follows the official inauguration of Colombia’s embassy in Jerusalem on October 14, in a ceremony attended by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and his Colombian counterpart, Omar Bula Escobar.
The opening marks a significant shift in Colombia’s relations with Israel under President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office in August 2026 after campaigning on a commitment to restore ties with Israel and move the embassy to Jerusalem.
The move follows the diplomatic rupture under former President Gustavo Petro, who severed relations with Israel in 2024 in protest against its military operations in Gaza. The new administration has sought to rebuild bilateral ties, including through renewed economic and security cooperation. Colombia also announced the restoration of its free trade agreement with Israel.
Israel welcomed the embassy’s opening as a diplomatic milestone. Foreign Minister Sa’ar described it as a significant development in bilateral relations, while Colombia’s foreign minister characterised Israel as a strategic partner.
Türkiye, however, maintains that East Jerusalem is an integral part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and argues that relocating diplomatic missions to the city risks prejudging its status, which remains central to negotiations over a two-state solution.
Ankara called on Colombia to reverse its decision and urged all countries to avoid actions that could undermine Jerusalem’s historical and legal status.
“We call on Colombia to reverse this decision and emphasize that all states must refrain from actions that could undermine the historical and legal status of Jerusalem,” the ministry stated.
The Turkish government also reiterated its position that lasting peace requires the establishment of an independent, sovereign and contiguous Palestinian state based on the borders preceding the June 1967 war, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
“We reiterate that the establishment of an independent, sovereign and contiguous State of Palestine on the basis of the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, is the only way to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the region,” the statement added.
The dispute centres on the status of Jerusalem, which Israel considers its capital but whose eastern sector was captured by Israel in the 1967 war and is regarded by the United Nations and much of the international community as occupied Palestinian territory.
UN Security Council Resolution 476, adopted on June 30, 1980, reaffirmed that acquiring territory by force is inadmissible and called for an end to Israel’s prolonged occupation of Arab territories captured in 1967, including Jerusalem. It also declared that measures changing the city’s geographical, demographic and historical character and status were null and void and should be rescinded.
Resolution 478, adopted on August 20, 1980, followed Israel’s enactment of a law proclaiming Jerusalem as its capital. The Security Council censured that legislation, determined that measures seeking to alter the city’s character and status were null and void, and called on states that had established diplomatic missions in Jerusalem to withdraw them.
The resolution was adopted by 14 votes in favour, none against and one abstention by the United States.
The International Court of Justice’s July 19, 2024, advisory opinion on Israel’s policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, further addressed the territory’s legal status.
The court treated the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip as a single territorial unit under international law and concluded that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory was unlawful, calling for an end to that presence as rapidly as possible.
The court’s opinion was advisory rather than a judgment in a contentious case between Colombia and Israel. Nevertheless, it provides an important legal reference in the international debate over Jerusalem and the wider occupation.
Colombia’s decision therefore places it at odds with the position reflected in the cited Security Council resolutions and the approach followed by most countries, which maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv while the status of Jerusalem remains unresolved.
Türkiye’s appeal adds to the diplomatic debate over whether individual states’ decisions on embassy locations could affect prospects for negotiations on Jerusalem and Palestinian statehood.
For Ankara, the issue is inseparable from its longstanding support for Palestinian sovereignty and a two-state solution. It maintains that a settlement based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital, remains essential to achieving a just and lasting peace.
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