How did Young Turk leaders interpret European-supervised reforms in the Armenian provinces?

The Young Turk leaders viewed European-supervised reforms in the Armenian provinces as a direct threat to the sovereignty of the Ottoman Empire.1

Following the empire's defeat in the First Balkan War, which resulted in the loss of its European territories, Armenian leaders sought to secure a degree of autonomy by appealing to European powers for protection. In 1914, these powers successfully imposed a reform package that mandated the presence of European inspectors in the eastern provinces to oversee the treatment of Armenian subjects.1

The Young Turk leadership interpreted this arrangement as definitive evidence that the Armenian population was colluding with European powers to undermine the Ottoman state. This perception of treachery, coupled with increasing nationalism and suspicion of non-Turks, fueled the regime's growing hostility toward their Armenian subjects, ultimately contributing to the conditions that led to the Armenian Genocide during World War I.12