The Sykes-Picot Agreement (the division of the Middle East between England and France) is a cornerstone of the Treaty of Sèvres, which in turn arranges for the division of Anatolia and Upper Mesopotamia. The National Liberation War did not put a final end to the Treaty of Sèvres, as claimed, but rather paralyzed its impact relatively, while an important part of it was implemented on the ground. Moreover, the abandonment of Kirkuk and Mosul to the British was the result of the Treaty of Sèvres. Accordingly, the second important division of Kurdistan in the modern era (the first division dates back to before the beginning of the modern era, to the Treaty of Qasr Shirin in 1639), is the main reason for the Kurdish issue.
