Abbott to press Turks over wannabe jihadists
Tony Abbott will press the Turkish Government to tighten border security to stop wannabe jihadists from transiting through the country to join Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
The Prime Minister repeated that he wanted Australians to turn up en masse at Anzac Day ceremonies and not be deterred by the alleged terror plot foiled in Melbourne at the weekend.
Mr Abbott leaves today for Turkey for the commemoration of the centenary of the Anzac landings but a major focus of his trip will be the fighting in Syria and Iraq.
The PM said many of the Australians who had gone to fight in the conflict had passed through Turkey and he would talk with Turkish leaders to better police the border.
"It is absolutely critical that as far as humanly possible we stop gullible, impressionable young Australians from going to places where they could very easily be killed or they could get caught up in something which is in no one's interests," he said.
Security agencies are on alert locally after police arrested five teens in Melbourne on Saturday over an alleged plot to attack police and the public with swords and knives at Anzac Day events.
One has been charged with conspiracy to commit a terrorist offence. Another is being held without charge under a rarely used preventive detention order.
It has emerged the pair have links with a top Australian recruiter for IS in Syria, Neil Prakash, who also goes by the name Abu Khalid al-Cambodi.
The pair were also friends of Numan Haider, who was shot dead last year after he stabbed two police officers in Melbourne.
Mr Abbott, who was in New Zealand yesterday for the dedication of an Australian war memorial and meetings with Kiwi counterpart John Key, said there would be "visible security presence" at Anzac Day ceremonies.
"The fact this plot was interdicted shows our security agencies are working effectively," Mr Abbott said. "The best thing Australians and New Zealanders can do is to turn up in very large numbers at Anzac events."
