Turkish-backed SNA factions remove Kurdish symbol in Syria’s Afrin
AFRIN, Syria (North Press) – Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), replaced on Wednesday a statue of a Kurdish symbol in the city of Afrin, northwestern Syria.
The SNA factions replaced the statue of “Kawa the Blacksmith” with a figure of an olive branch, a representation of Operation Olive Branch, by which Turkey and its affiliated SNA factions occupied Afrin region in March 2018.
The operation resulted in the killing and injury of thousands, and the displacement of about 300,000 of the original Kurdish inhabitants, who have been taking shelter in more than 50 villages and five camps in the northern countryside of Aleppo, aka Shahba Region. As for those who chose to remain in their homeland and not to flee, they have been subjected to widespread human rights violations.
Kawa the Blacksmith is a Kurdish symbol of resistance against tyranny and is linked to the Kurdish New Year and Newroz festivities. The statue was erected after the establishment of the Autonomous Administration in Afrin.
Ibrahim Sheikho, an activist and spokesperson of the local NGO Human Rights Organization-Afrin, told North Press that Turkey and its SNA factions seek to impose its Turkification policy in Afrin and remove the historical and Kurdish symbols.
Sheikho urged international and human rights organizations to intervene and stop these violations in Afrin.
Since Afrin’s occupation, Turkey has changed the “Freedom Roundabout” in Afrin city to “Ataturk Square,” and the “Newroz Roundabout” to “Saladin al-Ayyubi Roundabout,” in addition to changing the names of streets and raising pictures of the Turkish president and Turkish flags.
