The Greeks and Romans had influence all over the Middle East and Central Asia. There were Greek city-states in Western Turkey during the classical age. The Greeks even founded kingdoms as far east as Afghanistan and even parts of modern-day Pakistan and India. There they adopted Buddhism and played a role in spreading the religion to east Asia. After Alexander the Great's generals divided up his kingdom, Greeks ruled Egypt too. For centuries, Turkey and the Levant was ruled by the Byzantine Empire.
The Greeks and Romans had influence all over the Middle East and Central Asia. There were Greek city-states in Western Turkey during the classical age. The Greeks even founded kingdoms as far east as Afghanistan and even parts of modern-day Pakistan and India. There they adopted Buddhism and played a role in spreading the religion to east Asia. After Alexander the Great's generals divided up his kingdom, Greeks ruled Egypt too. For centuries, Turkey and the Levant was ruled by the Byzantine Empire.
Byzantium lecture by Victor Davis Hanson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzyRBNeoYhM&t=993s
Hellenism In the East: Indo-Greeks & The Thousand Cities of Bactria https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAb7wF5bEnM&t=216s
Afghanistan: The lasting legacy of Alexander the Great in Afghanistan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9mBLNOr8rw
Convergence of Hellenism & Buddhism: Gandharan Art Revisited Osmund Bopearachchi (Part 2 of 2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvkO3_67Xdg
And one of the Greco-Bactrian kings got reincarnated as a certain US president:
https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Demetrius_I_MET_coin.jpg#