Changing Turkish Other in post-Soviet Armenian discourse on national identity

The paper is focused on the definition of the Other in the discourse on Armenian national identity from 19th century onwards and, particularly, on its transformations after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It argues that with the collapse of the Soviet Union and establishment of Armenian statehood the image of the Turkey-Other or Turkey-Enemy of the Armenian nation, developed within the discursive project of the last two centuries, became challenged by the projects voting for the pragmatic interests of the Armenian statehood. The post-communist elites tend to revise the historical representation of the Ottoman period and to reformulate Turkey as a force the cooperation with which is "vital" for the successful development of the state. The problem of Turkey-other became the very point where the concepts of the state and nation clash.