The Turkish state and its mercenary allies continue to commit crimes in Afrin, which they occupied in March 2018. One of the aims pursued by Turkey is to change the demographic structure in Afrin, while at the same time plundering and trying to destroy Afrin's culture and history.

Turkey-backed mercenaries destroyed the statue of Kawa the Blacksmith in the city center when they occupied Afrin in 2018, and now they have destroyed the Newroz statue, which had become the symbol of the city and represented the multi-identity structure of the city.

The Newroz statue had a great meaning for the Kurdish people and its destruction once again revealed the Turkish state's hostility towards Kurds.

The names of many places in Afrin were also changed and replaced with names reminding of the Ottoman Empire.