Paris attacks: Francois Hollande cancels G20 visit to Turkey following terror attacks

France's President François Hollande will not attend the G20 Summit, due to take place in Turkey on Sunday (16 November), following a series terror attacks in Paris which killed at least 128 people on the night of 13 November. A diplomatic source told Reuters that France will be represented by Finance Minister Michel Sapin and Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who will first go to Vienna for talks on Syria, before attending the G20 meeting.

The French leader, who announced a state of emergency on Friday night, has ordered tighter border controls and held a meeting of the country's Defense Council this morning, the Elysee Palace has confirmed.

The French president called the attacks "unprecedented" and US President Obama called the tragedy "an attack on all of humanity."

British Prime Minister David Cameron warned "we must be prepared for a number of British casualties" after Islamic State (Isis) claimed responsibility for the Paris attacks. The Foreign Office says it is "urgently investigating" whether any British nationals had been caught up in the shootings or hostage-taking.

There will be "strengthened policing at ports" and more police at public events in the coming days, UK police said.

Reaction from the Middle East

The Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, who was due to visit France and Italy to discuss its nuclear program this weekend, has cancelled his visits. Rouhani sent a message to President Hollande condemning the terror attacks. According to Iranian state news broadcaster IRNA, Rouhani said that Iran ''itself has been a victim of the scourge of terrorism" and the fight against terrorism must go on.

In a statement Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari, ''Those terrorist groups that committed the Paris crimes do not believe in ethical principles and they are not loyal to any type of divine religions – including Islam."

United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan sent a telegram to President Hollande offering his condolences and pledging support for France, saying he would do "what it takes to face terrorism and eliminate it".

Kuwait's Emir, Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, has also offered his condolences, stressing that ''these criminal acts of terrorism… run counter to all teachings of holy faith and humanitarian values" according to Kuwait state news.