The Armenian Issue In Contemporary Turkey’s Relations With The West

Unlike the historical Armenian question,the Armenian question in this paper refers to the general term for Armenian-related issues affecting contemporary Turkish foreign relations,especially with Western countries,including both the historical Armenian legacy,typified by the Armenian Holocaust in World War I,and the reality of Turkish-Armenian relations,as well as the intertwined history and reality of the Armenian minority identity in Turkey.These issues have always affected and even plagued Turkey’s foreign relations,especially with Western countries.The long-standing internationalization of the Armenian issue has made this issue an important factor affecting Turkey’s foreign relations,especially with the West.Turkey and Armenia have long carried a heavy historical burden,and their positions are not only far apart on the issue of the Armenian Holocaust,but also escalated after the Cold War because of the Naka conflict,which has been further complicated by the involvement of the West.The Armenian issue has been internationalized for a long time under the influence of many factors.The dominant narrative of the Armenian issue in Western academia has laid an important ideological foundation for its internationalization;the financial support and policy propaganda of the Armenian community in Western countries has brought the Armenian issue to greater attention in the domestic politics of Western countries.In recent years,the West has wielded the "human rights" stick and condemned Turkey’s non-recognition stance on the Armenian issue.Currently,the internationalization of the Armenian issue has entered a new phase and has become one of the most important factors affecting Turkey’s relations with the West.The tension between the West’s perception and Turkey’s refusal to recognize it is growing,and the impact of the Armenian issue tends to expand in the context of the growing tension between Turkey and the West.Using a neoclassical realist analytical framework,this paper intends to delve into Turkey’s foreign policy dilemma and understand the changes in Turkey’s foreign policy in a changing domestic and foreign environment,as well as the impact of the Armenian issue.International system variables are the independent variables that govern the development of Turkish foreign policy and shape the basic dynamics of Turkey’s foreign relations and foreign strategic transformation.The anxiety caused by the disruption of national self-positioning and identity perceptions by the international system changes has profoundly affected Turkish domestic elites’ perceptions of national identity,which in turn affects their foreign policies and actions.Neoclassical realist theory has important theoretical value and practical significance for understanding Turkey’s foreign policy and provides an appropriate explanatory path for the Armenian problem.This paper argues that structural changes in the international system and changes in Turkey’s self-perceptions have combined to drive the Armenian issue to continue to grow in influence in Turkey’s relations with the West.Against the backdrop of widening structural contradictions between Turkey and the West and the pursuit of diplomatic transformation,the Armenian issue has seen a continuous ferment and a significant trend of politicization,and an upward trend in its impact on Turkey’s relations with the West.This will further drive Turkey’s diplomatic turn,and the direction of the Armenian issue has become an important window for observing Turkey’s foreign relations and its diplomatic transformation prospects.