The number of suspected Australian jihadists believed to be headed to Syria and Iraq on Turkey's "no entry" list has grown to about 420.
There was just 90 in 2014 but more have been added since, a Turkish official told the ABC - with 21 suspected Australian foreign fighters deported over the past two years.
Justice Minister Michael Keenan refused to comment on details of the list, but told ABC Radio on Thursday "if (the Turks) can stop any Australian from going to the conflict zone then that is obviously a good thing".
"We do make up a reasonable, sizable chunk of the western foreign fighters that have gone into this conflict," Minister Keenan added.
The Federal Government has said that “up to” 110 Australians are currently fighting in the conflict in Iraq and Syria, with a further 70 killed.
Defining 'terror'
Head of the Australian Strategic Policy Counter Terrorism Policy Centre, Jacinta Carroll, told SBS News that the figure of 420 could be inflated since Turkey’s definition of ‘terrorist’ differs to Australia’s.
“That definition of terrorist has been broadened under the Turkish regime. We don't really know as yet how they're defining this number,” Ms Carroll said.
“It may be just foreign fighters, it may be as it appears from the reports we're seeing today that it's those Australians who are known to Turkish authorities and are on an alert list.
“(But) that overall number isn't dissimilar to the number that we know Australian authorities are investigating. A combination of foreign fighters, their families and dependents, and also some Australians who might not be in the conflict zone itself, but might be in places adjacent like Turkey."
Turkey is the main gateway for foreign fighters. Around 20 Australians are said to have been deported from that checkpoint, with half returned to Australia.
Senior recruiter reportedly captured
There are also reports senior IS recruiter Neil Prakash, an Australian, has also been detained in Turkey and is facing extradition to Australia.
Minister Keenan would not be drawn into the matter.
“If we were to prosecute anybody for those crimes, and I won’t comment on the individual, but if we were to prosecute anyone for those crimes the penalties in Australia are as severe as they can be — life imprisonment,” he told ABC.
“If they were to return to Australia then we would seek to gather evidence on their intentions and there's a range of offences we could prosecute them for.”
Ms Carroll believes Turkey might also be including members of other groups that Australia doesn't consider terrorists, “such as Australians who might be fighting with or otherwise supporting Kurdish groups”.
“It might also be looking groups that we would consider are those that are just undertaking lawful political dissent,” she said.
Ms Carroll said there are fears Australians are under-resourced if scores of alleged foreign fighters are deported back to Australia.
“The very high number of Australians involved is of very serious concern to authorities here because they are already stretched,” she said.
“This sharp increase in number in the past couple of years has stretched resources and any return of Australian foreign fighters or any spread of foreign fighters out of the middle east continues that concern, and continues to draw upon the resources of those agencies in investigating any potential attack."
Speaking in Melbourne today, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten called for more funding for counter-terror agencies.
“This is something which would concern all Australians,” Mr Shorten said.
“I'm appalled that the government has been incompetent. We give the government support to counter violent extremism, but they've actually got to do their day job.
Countering violent extremism should have all the resources it needs to be thrown at it."
TURKEY'S REFERENDUM
What changes under Turkey's new constitution
Most Turkish Australians voted ‘NO’ in referendum
