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The Armenian Reforms and the Yeniköy Agreement

In the early years of the 20th century, the Ottoman Armenians were at the forefront of a reform movement aimed at addressing decades of persecution and seeking greater autonomy. Following the Hamidian massacres (1894-1896) and the massacres of Adana (1909), which had pushed the Armenian population to its limits, they began to demand reforms that would address their grievances.

The reform project in Ottoman Armenia, also known as the Yeniköy Agreement, was a plan negotiated between and by major powers including Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire. The agreement aimed to put an end to the abuses suffered by Armenians and ensure some autonomy for their provinces under European supervision.

The negotiations took place over a year and a half, involving not only the great powers but also the governing bodies of the Ottoman Armenians themselves. Louis Constant Westenenk, administrator for the Dutch East Indies, and Nicolai Hoff, a major in the Norwegian Army, were selected as the first two inspectors to oversee the implementation of the reforms.

Historian Margaret Lavinia Anderson notes that one of the key demands made by the Armenians was that muhacir (Armenian refugees) not be settled in certain provinces, which would have undermined proportional representation. The Ottoman government remained adamant on this point, and it was only mentioned briefly in the Yeniköy Agreement.

The agreement itself provided for the creation of two provinces in Ottoman Armenia, each administered by a European Inspector General responsible for managing Armenian issues. However, despite its promise, the project was repealed just months after the Ottoman Empire entered World War I, without ever having been put into place.

This episode marked one of the last attempts at reform before the almost total destruction of the Armenian minority during the 1915 genocide. The failure of the Yeniköy Agreement highlights the challenges faced by the Armenians in seeking recognition and protection from their own government, as well as the broader international community.