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 Leaders of the Group of 20 major economies (G20), including the
United States, China, Japan, Russia, Canada, Australia and Brazil,
are to meet on Sunday and Monday in the Mediterranean resort of
Antalya to discuss global economic issues.
But Turkey, a NATO member which has taken in more than 2 million
refugees from Syria and Iraq and faces a growing threat of spillover
from the conflicts, wants the heads of state to also discuss the
unrest there.
"Our inclusion of issues of Iraq and Syria to the G20 agenda is not
against the primary objectives of the platform," Erdogan told a
business meeting in the capital Ankara.
The ruling AK Party, founded by Erdogan, regained the parliamentary
majority it had lost just five months earlier in an election a week
and a half ago. He said that meant Turkey could now act with more
authority in the region.
 "The result of the Nov. 1 election completely removed political
uncertainty in Turkey and gave us the opportunity to take stronger
steps on regional issues," Erdogan said, without elaborating.
Turkey has been a staunch opponent of Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad, arguing lasting peace is impossible without his departure.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Tuesday that Turkey would
respond by air and land to threats from Syria and that a new
strategy was needed.
Russia, which supports Assad, wants the Syrian government and
opposition to agree on launching a constitutional reform process of
up to 18 months, followed by early presidential elections, a draft
document obtained by Reuters showed on Tuesday.
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The proposal, drawn up before international talks on Syria in Vienna
this week, does not rule out Assad's participation in the election,
something Ankara and the Syrian leader's other foes are likely to
oppose.
Turkey is also expected to use its presidency of the G20 to try to
persuade allies including Washington against giving U.S.-allied
Syrian Kurdish rebels a greater role in the fight against Islamic
State militants.
Turkey, which opened its air bases in July to the U.S.-led coalition
against Islamic State, sees advances by the Syrian Kurds as a threat
to its national security, fearing they could stoke separatism among
its own Kurds.
"Anyone ferrying wood to the Syrian fire will find themselves
burning. It is a friendly warning," Erdogan said.
(Additional reporting by Melih Aslan in Istanbul; Writing by Jonny
Hogg; Editing by Nick Tattersall/Ruth Pitchford)
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