If you want to understand the roots of the conflict in West Asia, look at Sykes-Picot

In order to understand the current crises in West Asia more deeply, it is necessary to take a closer look at the Sykes-Picot Agreement signed between France and England on May 16, 1916. This agreement significantly affected the future of West Asia and formed the basis of many current problems in the region.

During the First World War and after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the three main colonial countries, France, England and Russia, decided to divide the Ottoman lands. This division was based not on the geographical, cultural and ethnic realities of the region, but on colonial interests. The architects of this division were "Mark Sykes" from England and "Francois-Georges Picot" from France, and the name of this agreement was taken from their names.

This agreement led to the drawing of new and artificial borders in West Asia without taking into account the will and wishes of the people of this region. Following the end of World War I in November 1918 and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, hopes for the independence of the united Arab states were not realized. Instead, Britain and France managed to strengthen their influence in the region through the Trusteeship Plan in January 1919. This plan did not grant independence to the Arab countries in West Asia and placed them under the control of England and France.

This division not only led to political and social instability in the region, but also intensified religious conflicts. Palestine, Jordan, the south of Iraq, and parts of Syria and Lebanon were brought under the direct control of Britain and France. These artificial divisions formed the basis of many wars and conflicts in later years.

Muhammadreza Hajiyan, an expert on West Asian affairs, believes that one of the main problems of the Sykes-Picot Agreement is that the colonialists deliberately ignored the realities of the region. He states that the most important part of this agreement is that the occupation of Palestine and the disregard for the rights of the people living in these lands paved the way for Britain's domination of Palestine.

Currently, many countries in the region are still suffering from the consequences of the Sykes-Picot agreement. For example, in recent years we have witnessed the emergence of border disputes between Turkey and Iraq arising from the artificial divisions of Sykes-Picot.

Mehdi Shakibaei, secretary general of the Palestine National Defense Group, also believes that the Sykes-Picot agreement is the first step in the formation of Israel in the region. According to him, Britain's purpose in establishing Israel was to use the oil reserves in West Asia and Palestine. This goal was put into practice with the Balfour Declaration on 2 November 1917. From 1920 to 1948, Britain significantly increased the Jewish population in Palestine, paving the way for Jewish immigration to Palestine. In 1917, Jews constituted only 6% of the Palestinian population, but by 1948, when Israel declared its existence, the Jewish population reached 600,000 and approximately 800,000 Palestinians were displaced.

In a statement made in 2016, Palestine declared Britain responsible for all tragedies and asked the British government to apologize for its actions. However, the British Prime Minister of the time, Theresa May, opposed this request and stated that the British government was proud of the Balfour Declaration./