3rd LD: Pro-growth, anti-terror measures high on G20 summit agenda

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday urged G20 leaders to focus on growth strategies during their summit in the Turkish seaside resort of Antalya.

The summit's first working session started with one minute of silence in memory of victims in the terrorist attacks in Ankara and Paris.

"There is a strong link between the economy and security, and we cannot neglect those connections," said Erdogan.

Though economy is the main area of interests for the G20, it cannot be independent from political, social or cultural problems, and it is never independent from human life, Erdogan added.

"Despite all the steps that have been taken, we unfortunately did not see a strong global economic performance at a desired level," he said.

Earlier in November, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development trimmed its forecast for global economic growth to 2.9 percent this year and 3.3 percent in 2016, down from previous predictions of three percent and 3.6 percent. The IMF has also made similar pessimist projections recently.

In last year's summit in Australia's Brisbane, the G20 set an ambitious goal to lift its GDP by at least an additional two percent by 2018, agreeing on measures to lift investment, trade and competition, and employment.

However, Tristram Sainsbury, a research fellow with G20 studies center at Lowy Institute for International Policy, said the G20 growth strategy is not adding to growth, and that G20 members need to do more to coordinate their pro-growth policy.

Taking over the baton, Turkey, the host of the summit, has highlighted "three Is" -- inclusiveness, implementation and investment -- on G20's agenda to revitalize a sluggish global economy.

Global economic governance also needs the determination and political will to carry out necessary reforms, such as the 2010 IMF quota reforms, and to finalize the long-stalled Doha round of trade talks as soon as possible.

As the two-day summit convenes, G20 leaders are expected to discuss these key economic topics, including inclusive growth, employment and investment, as well as financial regulation.

On the eve of the summit, a wave of terrorist attacks rocked the French capital Paris, killing 129 people and injuring many more. The Islamic State (IS) militant group has claimed responsibility. The G20 is expected to put out a statement on fighting terrorism later on Sunday.

The IS has also said that it was behind the Oct. 31 crash of a Russian airliner over Egypt's Sinai and suicide bombings in Lebanon last Thursday.

In Antalya, Turkey has beefed up security for the summit by deploying at least 12,000 security personnel.

Turkey has come under a spate of terror attacks lately since it launched in late July simultaneous attacks on targets of the IS inside Syria and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq.

A total of 102 people were killed on Oct. 10 when twin suicide bombings hit a peace rally in Ankara, Turkey's capital, marking the deadliest attack in the country's modern history.

Refugee crisis is also going to be included in the summit's agenda. A four-year war in Syria has spilled over, forcing millions of people to flee to Turkey, Lebanon and other countries. Endit