In an unscripted address to a Griffith University audience, Professor Ahmet Davutoglu vowed to widen the G20's horizons from the narrow economic agenda crafted by Australia.

"If the G20 agenda is only limited to financial issues, the G20 cannot function, cannot have global legitimacy," he said.

Profesor Davutoglu cited the Ebola crisis and massive refugee flows as issues that should be on the agenda of the body representing the world's richest countries.

Outlining the approach Turkey will take when it chairs next year's meeting, he expressed the hope that 2015 would be a "turning point" for the world economy.

Although he made no criticism of Australia's approach, insisting "we will be getting a very good legacy from Australia", Profesor Davutoglu said a priority would be to integrate poorer countries into the global economy.

He said the Brisbane communique, committing members countries to a growth target 2 per higher than would otherwise have been over the next five years, would be very well expressed and defined.

But he painted a very different picture of how the G20 should see itself, saying Turkey's main priority as chair would be to be inclusive and reach out to non-member countries, international organisations, civil society and business and labour groups.

Profesor Davutoglu was applauded when he outlined Turkey's response to the refugee crisis sparked by the Syrian conflict, which has seen 4 million refugees flee to neighbouring countries.

"We cannot close our borders because they are our relatives, our neighbours, but before everything they are human beings," he said.

Key themes of next year's agenda would include development of low-income countries; jobs, especially for women and the young; energy access for all; devising alternative financial structures; and climate change, he said.