A century ago, during the First World War, the division of territories within the Ottoman lands, which were situated in what is now modern-day Turkey, was planned through the Sykes-Picot Agreement (1916) between France and England. This plan, conceived by Mark Sykes and the Frenchman François Picot, was put into writing and drawn on the map, dividing one of the oldest and most strategically important regions in the world, causing ethnic and religious issues.
The events leading to the Sykes-Picot Agreement unfolded as a result of the British defeat and capture by Ottoman Forces during the Siege of Kut. In the aftermath of this defeat, Britain and France decided to allocate the territories, shaping the entire Middle East. The Russian Empire, allied with the Entente Powers, was also included in this imperialist division. According to the Sykes-Picot Agreement, the Eastern Anatolia region, including Trabzon and parts of Eastern Anatolia, were allocated to Tsarist Russia. Meanwhile, the Middle East, comprising Syria and Lebanon, was divided, with the French taking control, and the British taking charge of the oil-rich regions of Iraq and Palestine.
The British controlled the Iranian oil fields, which is why they sought to retain Mosul and Kirkuk in the nearby region of Iran. This was to prevent the placement of German forces in the oil-rich fields of Kerkuk and Mosul, which were part of Ottoman territory, during the war. The operation in Iraq was initiated, but it ultimately failed with the Battle of Kut.
Prior to this, conversations with Sharif Hussein of Mecca led to an agreement with the British Kingdom to establish a large Arab state under British control in the Middle East. However, upon learning of this agreement, France applied pressure, leading to a new agreement: the Sykes-Picot Agreement.
Key Points of the Sykes-Picot Agreement:
- Iskenderun to become a free port.
- The entirety of Iraq to be under British control with Akka and Haifa Ports granted to them.
- The French to be given Eastern Mediterranean, Diyarbakir, Urfa, Adana, Mosul, and Syria territories.
- Establishment of an international administration in Palestine due to its sacred nature.
- Granting Erzurum, Trabzon, and parts of Eastern Anatolia to Russia.
- Establishment of a confederation of Arab states under a single administration, unifying all of the Middle East.
While the Sykes-Picot Agreement was drafted and the boundaries were drawn by Mark Sykes on behalf of the British Kingdom and François Picot on behalf of France, the actual signatories were Edward Grey, the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and Paul Cambon for France.
Although the Ottoman Empire achieved success after the victory at Kut, British efforts to stoke Arab nationalism in the region eventually led to the acquisition of Baghdad and the entirety of the Middle East from the Ottomans. Following the withdrawal of the Germans, the First World War ended, and the Ottoman territories were occupied in accordance with the plan outlined in the Sykes-Picot Agreement.
Written by Mark Sykes and François Picot
Mark Sykes was a British political advisor and diplomat who represented his country in matters related to the partitioning of Middle Eastern territories and the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire. He could be considered a member of the British deep state.
Sykes had traveled extensively, particularly in Anatolia, and was well-acquainted with the region. It's not surprising that he engaged in espionage activities during his travels. He authored books on the subject after returning to England. Based on his recommendation, the Arab Bureau was established in 1915, operating as the British intelligence office in Egypt. It's known that Sykes was heavily involved in reviving Arab nationalism, particularly in Ottoman territories like Palestine, Syria, and Iraq.
Three years after penning the agreement on behalf of Britain, Sykes died from the Spanish flu during the Paris Peace Conference in 1919.
François Picot, the son of historian and diplomat Georges Picot, served in various diplomatic positions. Shortly before the First World War, he was appointed as the French Consul General in Beirut. Building strong relationships with Christian leaders in the region, Picot was active in Beirut and later in Egypt.
Upon returning to France, Picot joined the French colonial party and supported and conducted colonial activities in France's mandate territories. He supported Arab nationalists in Syria and Palestine and even proposed deploying 20,000 French troops in the Middle East. The Sykes-Picot Agreement emerges, the world is shaken
Referenced from Russian Archives
Secret Document Sykes-Picot Agreement was signed between Britain, France, and Russia, and Russia was involved in the matter. According to this agreement, Ottoman territories in the Black Sea Region and Eastern Anatolia were given to the Russians. When Tsar Nicholas II was dethroned in Lenin's October Revolution, the Bolsheviks gained access to the Tsarist archives. An examination revealed a copy of the Sykes-Picot Agreement. Later, in 1917, Lenin's close associate Trotsky published a copy in the Izvestiya newspaper on November 24, 1917, with the aim of exposing the colonialist powers' plans to dismantle the Ottoman Empire at the end of the First World War. Lenin referred to this agreement as the "Agreement of the Colonial Thieves." When the Sykes-Picot Agreement came to light, it led to a political scandal in both France and Britain.
The scandal grew when documents regarding discussions with Sharif Hussein of Mecca about the establishment of a state for Jews in Palestine were uncovered. This document was a letter from British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Baron Walter Rothschild.
The Sykes-Picot Agreement later evolved into the San Remo Peace Conference. Again, the Middle East was shaped according to the Sykes-Picot Agreement, and the interests in the region were established based on the desires of colonial powers. The Sykes-Picot Agreement fueled nationalist movements in the region, particularly Arab nationalism, and exacerbated sectarian divisions, ultimately determining the borders.
France retained control of Syria and the Iskenderun region until 1932. Afterwards, due to nationalist pressures, they announced the establishment of the Syrian state by uniting Aleppo and Damascus. In the subsequent years, rather than officially taking responsibility, imperialist countries continued to operate behind the scenes, leaving their influence and resources in these states. In 1939, Turkey incorporated Iskenderun, which was within the borders of the National Pact (Misak-ı Milli), through a referendum.
The Treaty of Sèvres and the San Remo negotiations were also found to have been prepared in consideration of the Sykes-Picot map. Thus, this agreement formed the basis of imperialist colonial ambitions on the Ottoman Empire.
Today, especially considering the sectarian strife in Syria, the continuous oppression and persecution faced by Palestine, the strengthening of Shiite administrations in Iraq leading to sectarian conflicts, the constant support of the PKK, and the general complexity and reputation of the Middle East as a region marked by continuous wars, it is evident that the Sykes-Picot Agreement not only remained on paper but is still being attempted to be implemented.
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