(Transcript from World News Radio)
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has brokered an deal with Turkey for patrolling the borders of Iraq and Syria to try and stop Australians trying to join Islamic state.
Mr Abbott is in Turkey has met with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to discuss bilateral cooperation, ahead of Gallipoli landing centenary commemorations on Saturday.
More than 100 Australians are believed to be fighting in Iraq and Syria and there are concerns there are more wishing to join them.
Amanda Cavill reports.
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Prime Minister Tony Abbott has announced a boost in cooperation between Turkey and Australia to stem the flow of Australians travelling to Syria to join extremist groups.
Mr Abbott, who is in Turkey to mark 100 years since the Anzac landings at Gallipoli on Saturday has met with the country's Prime Minister Ahmet Davatoglu to discuss ways to stop Australians using Turkey as a transit country.
He says Australians will find it much harder to use Turkey as a gateway to joining extremist groups following the agreements.
"Our co-operation is deepening and I am confident that as a result of the co-operation, as a result of the additional warmth that I think this meeting, this visit has generated that Australians who are wishing to transit through Turkey to Syria and Iraq will find it much, much more difficult. And again my message to any Australian who is thinking of such a thing is "Don't do it. Don't go."
Mr Abbott flagged negotiations will start on a memorandum of understanding for the return of Australians intercepted in Turkey who had been planning to fight in the region.
The two leaders agreed to boost the sharing of intelligence and information that will lead to prosecutions, but provided little practical detail on how this would be done.
They also agreed to work together on tackling terrorist financing and will hold inter-agency counter terrorism talks annually.
And they have decided to turn talks between counter-terrorism agencies, first held in November last year, into an annual event.
There will also be closer police ties and information-sharing.
Mr Davatoglu says Turkey is more than happy to co-operate with Australia to fight all terrorist groups in the region.
But he's made it clear that he's not prepared to shut the borders with Iraq and Syria.
Nor is he wanting to deter Australians who are going to Turkey for peaceful reasons.
"If Australia asks something from us like detaining these people, deporting these people, Turkey is ready to take such steps. For those who come from, of course, Australia. If they don't have any intention to join any terrorist organisation they are quite welcome to come to Turkey. So we will receive such people coming to our Anzac ceremonies and we will of course apply measures against terrorism without disturbing such friendly guests coming to Turkey."
Director for the centre of Islam and the Modern World at Monash University Professor Greg Barton says it will be very hard to seal the border between Turkey and Iraq and Syria.
He's told Sky News the agreement between Australia and Turkey will need to rely on intelligence information to be successful.
"Turkey, if it has more information about looking for and what their links are is in a better position to either stop them coming in to Turkey, or at least to find them once they are there. And most travel to Syria having first landed in Istanbul. So that gives them a chance to try and figure out what the networks are in Istanbul, who's arranging the transport and which key crossing points they have to pay attention to."
Mr Abbott says he realises the long border between Turkey and Syria is not easy to police.
He says the detail of how this can be achieved will be a matter for Turkey.
