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\u201cWe have a great obligation to protect the Christian populations of Syria, but also of the wider region,\u201d Dendias<\/strong> emphasised in the contacts he had.<\/p>\n He placed particular emphasis on the need to preserve Christian religious monuments, especially Orthodox ones.<\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot wash our hands of this issue or consider it to be someone else\u2019s business, whatever that may entail. We must include it in our horizon. These monuments are the fruits of a cultural presence spanning millennia,\u201d the Greek minister said.<\/p>\n \u201cMost of them are not even 100, 200, or 300 years old. It is unthinkable to let them be destroyed in our time,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Dendias had expressed the same concern about the fate of Christian populations in the Middle East before the ambassadors of EU member states.<\/p>\n \u201cGreece and the European Union have a duty \u2013 I repeat, duty \u2013 to defend the Christian populations in Syria and the Middle East,\u201d the minister stressed.<\/p>\n \u201cIn this region, there are populations with a history of centuries, as well as monuments dating back to the time of Justinian times and even earlier. It is unthinkable to let them disappear. They are an integral part of our European cultural identity,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n This statement came following his visit to the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine in Sinai, where he witnessed firsthand the importance of preserving Greek Orthodox cultural heritage in the region.<\/p>\n Syria\u2019s non-elected President Ahmad Al Shara to visit Turkey on Tuesday<\/strong><\/p>\n Ahmad Al Shara is visiting Turkey from Saudi Arabia, where he made his first trip since being unconstitutionally declared president, on Tuesday for talks on rebuilding the country and security issues that are likely to include Kurdish fighters near the Turkish border.<\/p>\n Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Al Shara will discuss \u201cjoint steps to be taken by the two countries for the economic recovery, sustainable stability and security in the country\u201d, Turkey\u2019s head of communications Fahrettin Altun said on X.<\/p>\n Turkey has played a key role in supporting radical Islamist groups against former president Bashar Al Assad throughout Syria\u2019s civil war. Al Shara is the leader of Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a group formerly linked to Al Qaeda and Al Nusra Front, which played the main role in the downfall of the Assad regime.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Greek Foreign Minister Gerapetritis Visits Middle East Amid Ceasefire Developments<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n