Malcolm Turnbull has arrived in Turkey for a G20 summit that will now be dominated by countering violent extremism and pushing a political solution to the Syrian conflict.
The Australian prime minister visited the French embassy in Berlin to pay his respects to those killed in the Paris terror attacks before departing Germany for Turkey on Saturday morning.
Before leaving Berlin, Turnbull deplored the Paris attacks, saying: “This is an attack, as President Obama has said, on all humanity. On behalf of the Australian people, I extend our deep sympathy to the people of France.
“Freedom stands up for itself, stands up for its values in the face of terrorism. In France, and Australia, all around the world, we stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of France and with all free peoples in the battle against terrorism.”
Turnbull’s G20 programme for Saturday afternoon involves meeting the summit host, the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe.
The meeting will focus on Japan’s current interest in bidding to build Australia’s next fleet of submarines, and broader regional issues.
The Abe meeting follows representations in Berlin on Friday from Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel, on behalf of the German firm ThyssenKrupp, which is also pitching for the submarines contract.
Turnbull will then be interviewed by the ABC’s Insiders programme before the opening of the G20 summit.
In Australia, the man Turnbull replaced as prime minister said the problem of Islamist extremism was severe.
In an interview with the News Corp tabloids, Tony Abbott said he did not “think we can leap to the conclusion that the people responsible for this in Paris are recent refugee arrivals.
“I think it would be quite wrong to the conclude that. But it is absolutely crystal clear that whether they are recent arrivals, whether they are second generation Parisians, the problem of Islamist extremism is severe,.
“And it’s not going away anytime soon, particularly with this caliphate remaining in place in Syria and Iraq which is encouraging its sympathisers right around the world to carry out attacks, including on Australia.”
Abbott is also scheduled to be interviewed on the Ten Network’s Bolt Report on Sunday morning.
The G20 summit’s opening dinner will focus on countering violent extremism and there will also be a significant push on to achieve a political solution to the Syrian civil war.
