
A century later, many still blame this agreement for turmoil in the Middle East
A century later, many still blame this agreement for turmoil in the Middle East

Almost 100 years ago, two European men were tasked with drawing up a new border map for the Middle East.
Their names were Sir Mark Sykes and Francois George-Picot and their map was arbitrary and largely ignored the intricate politics of the area. To this day, power brokers in the region still blame what became known as the Sykes-Picot Agreement for fostering unrest in places like Iraq and Syria.
Robin Wright is a contributor at the New Yorker and she has the byline on a piece called “How the Curse of Sykes-Picot Still Haunts the Middle East.”
Wright spoke with Kai Ryssdal, click the audio player above to listen to the interview.
Marketplace is on a mission.
We believe Main Street matters as much as Wall Street, economic news is made relevant and real through human stories, and a touch of humor helps enliven topics you might typically find…well, dull.
Through the signature style that only Marketplace can deliver, we’re on a mission to raise the economic intelligence of the country—but we don’t do it alone. We count on listeners and readers like you to keep this public service free and accessible to all. Will you become a partner in our mission today?