Turning back boats poses risk of spat, warns Rudd Kevin Rudd has come out swinging at Tony Abbott's controversial policy of turning back asylum-seeker boats, warning it risks provoking a "diplomatic conflict" that could escalate into a naval confrontation. In his first news conference since his dramatic return to the leadership, Mr Rudd went on the front foot over the issue, suggesting Mr Abbott was "trying to risk some sort of conflict with Indonesia." Asked to clarify, Mr Rudd said he was talking about diplomatic conflict but then suggested this could escalate into a confrontation at sea. "You end up with a pretty robust diplomatic conflict and I become a little uncertain as to where that heads," he said. Cautioned: Kevin Rudd's suggestion that Tony Abbott's policy would provoke "pretty robust dipolmatic conflict" has outraged the Coalition, with Julie Bishop demanding an apology. So what happens on day one when Field Marshal Tony puts out the order to the captain of the Australian naval frigate X to turn back a bunch of boats? And you've got naval frigate from the Indonesian navy on the other side of the equation. I think that there's sufficient maturity in this country and I hope, certainly on the part of our friends and colleagues in Indonesia, to avoid such a contingency. If it goes anywhere else - I certainly hope it doesn't. I don't believe it would. I hope it wouldn't. Mr Rudd declined to say whether he was going ahead with a visit to Jakarta next week that had been flagged by Julia Gillard before Wednesday's leadership change. Ms Gillard was expected to seek co-operation on the asylum-seeker issue. His remarks signal a determination by Mr Rudd to tackle Mr Abbott head on over the issue. Many Labor MPs had long been concerned that the Gillard government was not doing enough to counter what they saw as an unrealistic Coalition promise to turn back asylum-seeker boats when it is safe to do so. Mr Rudd's remarks provoked outrage from the Coalition, with foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop demanding an apology and retraction of the "ridiculous, absurd, alarmist claim that the Coalition would trigger a conflict." A spokesman at the Indonesian embassy declined to comment. Last month Indonesian ambassador Nadjib Riphat Kesoema said Indonesia would not collaborate with the Coalition on turning back boats. But both Mr Abbott and Ms Bishop have repeatedly said that Australia does not actually need Indonesia's co-operation to turn back boats that are Indonesian-crewed, Indonesian-flagged and setting out from Indonesian ports. It would take place in international waters, Ms Bishop said. But both have also said they would work co-operatively with the Indonesian government. Greg Fealy, an expert in Indonesian politics at the Australian National University, said naval confrontation was unlikely but diplomatic conflict a distinct possibility if Australia took unilateral action. That is precisely the kind of thing that would raise the hackles of the Indonesian political elite. There would be pressure on the President to respond resolutely," he said. Moreover the two front runners to take power in Indonesian elections next year are nationalists who are unlikely to be as accommodating as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.