Macron pledges to rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral

By Yusuf Ozcan

PARIS (AA) - French President Emmanuel Macron pledged Monday to rebuild the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris after it was seriously damaged by a massive fire.

“The worst was avoided, even if the battle has not been completely won yet, and the next few hours will be difficult," Macron told reporters after inspecting the scene.

He said a national fundraising campaign would be launched to restore the 850-year-old monument.

Meanwhile, a priest at the cathedral said most of the artworks and treasures have been saved.

The cause of the fire is still unknown. ‏

Turkey joined the rest of the world in expressing dismay over the massive fire which engulfed the historic masterpiece.

"We are following the fire destroying the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris with great sorrow," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Twitter.

"The destruction of this masterpiece of architecture is a catastrophe for all of humanity," he added.

"It is with very heavy hearts that we received the devastating news about the fire in Paris, France. The Notre Dame Cathedral is not just a symbol of France but part of humanity’s shared heritage," Turkey’s presidential communications director Fahrettin Altun tweeted.