Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has canceled his visit to Turkey. The president was invited by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan on Monday, but decided to cancel his trip, as controversial NATO Patriot missiles deployment in Turkey goes ahead.

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has said that the deployment of missiles is a "provocative move".

Tensions between Turkey and Iran are high over Syria.

Ahmadinejad had been invited by PM Erdoðan to the city of Konya on Monday for an annual ceremony marking the death of Rumi, the 13th century Sufi mystic.