In Sykes' mind, the agreement which bore his name was outdated even before it was signed – in March 1916, he wrote in a private letter: "to my mind the Zionists are now the key of the situation".
Dalam pikiran Sykes, perjanjian yang membawa namanya tersebut muncul bahkan sebelum ditandatangani – pada Maret 1916, ia menulis sebuah surat pribadi: "pada pikiranku, kaum Zionis sekarang adalah kunci dari situasi".