Sykes-Picot is dead

ERBIL, KIRKUK, Kurdistan Region (K24) - Peshmerga forces belonging to the Kurdistn Region are now in control of 95 percent  disputed areas.

Kamal Kirkuki, Peshmerga Commander stationed along the Kirkuk front told K24, “Practically Sykes-Picot has failed, so an alternative should be formed to re-draw the borders in the region.”

Kirkuki added, “It is not possible for Kurds to be under the rule of Sunni or Shia Arabs once again.”

The Peshmerga commander says that it is time for these territories to return to the administrative control of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)  through holding a referendum. “Iraq has no control over its sky and borders.” Kikuki said.

On June 27, 2014, the Kurdistan Region President, Masoud Barzani said that after the withdrawal of government forces in most disputed territories, Peshmerga forces moved in to protect the people and prevent Islamic State to take control. “For us, Article 140 is implemented and finished, we will no longer talk about this,” Barzani asserted.

Wasta Rasul, Peshmerga commander along the southern Kirkuk front said that Peshmerga forces will protect these borders with their lives from any force that may emerge after the Islamic State [is defeated]. “Peshmerga stationed in Kirkuk have retaken most of the disputed areas among other fronts as well,” Rasul added.

"The Middle East is on the edge of a big change, and a new Sykes-Picot [agreement] is on the way. The Middle East to be re-drawn [so] that new states may be created,” stated Ali Awni, a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Leadership Council , in a recent interview with K24.

After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the Sykes-Picot Agreement was signed in 1916 between the United Kingdom and France and the two superpowers carved up the map of the Middle East into several nation states. The region’s map was drawn without any consideration to ethnic and religious groups in the area.

(Hunar Ahmed from Kirkuk contributed to this report)