Gallipoli Anzac Day terror attack foiled

Details emerge of a plot by a Syrian Islamic State supporter to attack the Anzac Day service in Gallipoli.

The terror suspect arrested in Turkey. Picture: Supplied

A Syrian Islamic State supporter has been arrested for planning a terrorist attack just hours ahead of the Anzac Day dawn service in Gallipoli.

The suspect, Abdulkarem Hilef, 25, was born in eastern Syria, and unverified media reports suggest he was planning to either bomb the service or use a vehicle to drive into people. The Lebanese newspaper Aydinlik reports Turkish police sources saying the alleged attack was to be in retaliation for the Christchurch mosque massacre.

Turkey’s Anti-Terror Branch worked with police in Tekirdag, on the northern area of the peninsula and about two hours’ drive from Anzac Cove to make the arrest on Wednesday.

Police said they had been monitoring mobile phone communications and identified the suspect as a member of Islamic State and he was believed to be targeting the Anzac Day service.

The Turkish authorities said they were continuing their investigations.

It is unclear if the Anzac arrest is linked to an arrest of a top level Islamic State member, identified as E.Y. in Bursa, Western Turkey earlier in the week.

About 1200 Australian and New Zealand tourists have been registered to attend the dawn service.

The Australian had revealed on Tuesday that Turkish authorities had been so concerned about the terror threat at the service that they had banned all Turkish nationals.

The Turkish government has imposed the strict ban on locals being anywhere on the peninsula for the service, including bus drivers and tour guides, only a month after President Recep Tayyip ­Erdogan spoke about sending Australians home in body bags, and the Turkish media repeatedly broadcast footage of the Christchurch massacre during political campaigning.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Australian reaction

Scott Morrison has downplayed fears of a potential terrorist attack at Gallipoli and says there has not yet been a link established between the arrest by Turkish services and the service later today.

The Prime Minister said in Townsville today that it was a “routine arrest” and reports were inconclusive on whether Hilef was planning to attack Gallipoli services.

“It is fairly routine for Turkish authorities to arrest people with suspected terrorist links,” he said.

“The reports that we are receiving are inconclusive about any link between that arrest and any possible planned event at Gallipoli itself.”

Bill Shorten has urged young Australians to continue to make pilgrimages to Gallipoli despite the threats posed to the commemorations. “Australians can make a choice about the world. We can make a choice that it’s too scary, we should never leave home, that it’s too confronting and too difficult to navigate. I don’t have that view,” he said in Darwin this morning.

“Just because there are terrorists in the world, we can’t let them win by discouraging our young people from travelling. Anzac Day is a sacred day, we can’t afford to let these extremists discourage us. On the other hand, we have to maintain the utmost care.”

Turkish authorities have arrested a suspected IS member they say was planning an attack on the Gallipoli dawn service.@billshortenmp: We can’t let it discourage the tradition of Australians travelling to battlefields where Australians have fallen.

MORE: https://t.co/0IvelkUXDA pic.twitter.com/AcBeaVhzgm

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) April 24, 2019

Gallipoli security upgrade

Visitors to Anzac Cove preparing to enter the Anzac Cove area have been told to arrive 11 hours before the dawn service — more than five hours earlier than originally scheduled in wake of the upgraded terror threat.

Visitors have been told that they won’t be allowed to leave the site until after 2pm local time as security is tightened even further.

In an upgraded security plan from the Turkish authorities, the road in and out of the peninsula has been shut and vehicles and tour buses will only be allowed to leave after both the Australian service at Lone Pine and the New Zealand service at Chunuk Bair have finished. In previous years people had been able to leave the area after the Anzac Cove service after 8am or when the Lone Pine service finishes mid morning.

Pilgrims began arriving on the peninsula in the early evening after a security sweep had cleared the area.

Australians go through security at Gallipoli. Picture: Sahin Erdem

But the long delay leaving the site after the service means that some tour groups will miss planned activities. One Tasmanian group was planning to visit Troy, near Cannakkale but have been told they will not be able to fit it in given the new delays.

Sarah Wingate said: “It’s a long long day and will be even longer now’’.

Hundreds of Australians and New Zealand have huddled on the hillside behind the stage area at Anzac Cove, with all Turkish nations prevented from attending.

Jak McClory, 29, of Perth said he had heard about the arrest of the Islamic State member but wasn’t concerned. McClory was a captain in the army and toured Afghanistan in 2011 and currently works in Papua New Guinea.

Australians waiting though the night for the dawn service at Gallipoli. Picture: Sahin Erdem

He told The Australian: “As ex-military I have always wanted to come here, its been on my list and I am happy to be here. This hasn’t changed my thoughts, I trust the security measures that are in place.’’

Melburnian Jaclyn Barnard, 36, said their tour guide had told passengers about the plot and reassured them not to panic or worry. She said the Turkish people were very upset that Australians were getting an impression that Turkey wasn’t safe. “They say we shouldn’t be worried and this country is safe and obviously all of this (terror threats) is affecting tourism and their livelihoods.’’

(Left to right) Jak McClory, Mitchell Hand and Jacklyn Barnard at Gallipoli.

Mitchell Hand, a 27-year-old electrician from Melbourne said “obviously you get a little bit nervous. Before I came I checked the travel advice and I was under the impression that something might happen, but it didn’t deter me from coming.’’

The Australian Department of Veterans Affairs and the New Zealand Defence Force said they were aware of Turkish media reports that the Turkish National Police had arrested an individual who is alleged to be involved in activities designed to disrupt Anzac services at Gallipoli.

“This is a matter for the Turkish authorities,’’ the Department of Veterans Affairs said in a statement. “Australian and New Zealand authorities are liaising with the responsible Turkish authorities in relation to this media reporting.

“Planning and preparations for the Anzac commemorations at Gallipoli are continuing.’’

John Woulter and his wife Petra, from The Netherlands were shocked at the news of the arrest.

John Woulter.

Mr Woulter, originally from Christchurch in New Zealand said “It is a bit worrying”, but Mrs Woulter said “It really scares me’’.

Their tour bus had been searched just hours earlier as it progressed down the Gallipoli peninsula with all passengers having their passport checked, and then while on a remote road the bus was checked for a second time.

“They are being very thorough, I don’t think anybody will be able to get past the security here,’’ Mr Woulter said.

“I suppose we have to be thankful that they have arrested him.’’