By Yusuf Ozcan</p> <p>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.</p> <p>“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.</p> <p> He said a national fundraising campaign would be launched to restore the 850-year-old monument.</p> <p>Meanwhile, a priest at the cathedral said most of the artworks and treasures have been saved.</p> <p>The cause of the fire is still unknown. </p> <p>Turkey joined the rest of the world in expressing dismay over the massive fire which engulfed the historic masterpiece.</p> <p>"We are following the fire destroying the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris with great sorrow," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Twitter.</p> <p>"The destruction of this masterpiece of architecture is a catastrophe for all of humanity," he added.</p> <p>"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.