Identity and otherness discourse in Turkey-Armenia relations: Continuity/change

The Constructivist Theory, arising from the inadequacy of Rationalist Theories in explaining the changes in the system during the Cold War and post-Cold War periods, has been used as the main theory in the formation of this thesis. Through the theory, the impact of cultures, identities, discourses, and the discourses of elites in both countries on the formation of foreign policy and shaping the relations between Turkey and Armenia will be elucidated. Furthermore, this study will examine efforts towards establishing normal relations by overcoming obstacles to normalization through the discourse of otherness, which plays a significant role in shaping mutual relations. To discuss the change in Turkey-Armenia relations and the formation of their foreign policies, the identity-building processes of Turkey and Armenia have been reviewed within the study, along with events and factors influencing these processes, starting from the imperial period when Armenians and Turks were described as "loyal citizens to their homeland and nation" within the Ottoman State. Both Armenia and Turkey underwent various changes in their national identities during the nation-building phase, and this transformation and the factors contributing to it are addressed in the thesis. Although the post-Cold War independence of Armenia increased hopes for normalization between Turkey and Armenia, it did not materialize. The return of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani territory and the pragmatic Turkey-Azerbaijan foreign policy of Armenian leader Pashinyan after 2018 accelerated steps towards the normalization of relations. In today's Turkey-Armenia relations, the discourse and efforts of political elites in both countries, along with the influence of historical identity politics and shared historical past, are observed. This thesis will seek answers to the following questions and phenomena: - To what extent the transformation of Turkish and Armenian identities has influenced or will influence relations between the two countries, and similarly, how the behaviors and discourses of Turkish and Armenian elites have affected the people and the future of nations. - The statements and expressions of leaders, elites, or in other words, statesmen of Turkey and Armenia regarding relations between the two countries will be evaluated through Teun A. Van Dijk's critical discourse analysis. Language and identity concepts are important in the framework of Social Constructivist Theory, and Van Dijk has chosen to use these elements in his analysis. In his methodology, Dijk includes elements such as power, ideology and rhetoric. The first section of the thesis presents Social Constructivism Theory as the theoretical framework, and at the same time, the concept of identity, with the views of Alexander Wendt and Nicholas Onuf on the explanation of identity. In the second section, the emergence and current state of Turkish and Armenian identities are traced in different periods and processes, and the events influencing the formation of these identities are expressed. The third section introduces the concept of "otherness" and the discourses of Turkish and Armenian elites on the background of the two countries' perspectives on each other and their relations are subjected to critical discourse analysis. In the conclusion section, a general summary of the thesis is provided along with the findings.