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The Use of Soft Power in Psychological Warfare: References to Religion in Post-September 11 Armenian Literature
Abstract
This study analyzes the deployment of soft power as an instrument of psychological warfare within three literary works by authors from the American Armenian diaspora, all published in the post-September 11 era. The central objective is to examine the religious references used to construct perceptions of Muslim Turkish characters toward Armenians and Christianity. This study employs qualitative text analysis of these three novels, categorized as memoirs but acknowledged to contain fictional elements. This specific selection, based on shared author background, genre, and rhetorical features, constitutes the study’s primary delimitation. The analysis reveals that a mechanism of perception management is established among the readership, primarily through the characters' religion-based actions, discourses, and the use of emotional elements. This strategy demonstrates that the soft power mechanism functions as a propaganda technique within these diasporic narratives. The findings ultimately support the conclusion that post-September 11 Armenian literature serves as an indirect tool of psychological warfare, leveraging religious references to fortify collective identity and the perception of a common external enemy, thereby contributing to the literature on the role of such works in the construction of political and social perceptions.
Keywords
References
- Published Works
- Abadan, N. (1960). Kütle haberleşme vasıtaları (Mass communication media). Ankara Üniversitesi SBF Dergisi, 15(01). https://doi.org/10.1501/SBFder_0000000528 (In Turkish)
- Ajemian Ahnert, M. (2007). The knock at the door: A journey through the darkness of the Armenian genocide. Beaufort Books.
- Ajemian Ahnert, M. (2014). Amasya’nın dikenleri; Ermeni soykırımının karanlığına yolculuk. Belge Yayınları. (In Turkish)
- Arı, T. (2008). Uluslararası ilişkiler ve dış politika. Marmara Kitap Merkezi. (In Turkish)
- Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D., & Akert, R. M. (2012). Sosyal psikoloji. Kaktüs Yayınları. (In Turkish)
- Aslan, M. Y. (2000). Savaş hukukunun temel prensipleri. TBB Dergisi, (79), 235-274. (In Turkish)
- Bilgin, N. (2003). Sosyal psikoloji sözlüğü kavramlar yaklaşımlar. Bağlam Yayıncılık. (In Turkish)
Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
International Politics, Politics in International Relations, Security Studies, International Relations (Other)
Journal Section
Research Article
Publication Date
December 31, 2025
Submission Date
October 8, 2025
Acceptance Date
December 11, 2025
Published in Issue
Year 2025 Volume: 9 Number: 2
APA
Saylan, T., & Yıldırım, B. (2025). The Use of Soft Power in Psychological Warfare: References to Religion in Post-September 11 Armenian Literature. Alınteri Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 9(2), 345-366. https://doi.org/10.30913/alinterisosbil.1799268
AMA
1.Saylan T, Yıldırım B. The Use of Soft Power in Psychological Warfare: References to Religion in Post-September 11 Armenian Literature. AJOSS. 2025;9(2):345-366. doi:10.30913/alinterisosbil.1799268
Chicago
Saylan, Tuna, and Bülent Yıldırım. 2025. “The Use of Soft Power in Psychological Warfare: References to Religion in Post-September 11 Armenian Literature”. Alınteri Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi 9 (2): 345-66. https://doi.org/10.30913/alinterisosbil.1799268.
EndNote
Saylan T, Yıldırım B (December 1, 2025) The Use of Soft Power in Psychological Warfare: References to Religion in Post-September 11 Armenian Literature. Alınteri Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi 9 2 345–366.
IEEE
[1]T. Saylan and B. Yıldırım, “The Use of Soft Power in Psychological Warfare: References to Religion in Post-September 11 Armenian Literature”, AJOSS, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 345–366, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.30913/alinterisosbil.1799268.
ISNAD
Saylan, Tuna - Yıldırım, Bülent. “The Use of Soft Power in Psychological Warfare: References to Religion in Post-September 11 Armenian Literature”. Alınteri Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi 9/2 (December 1, 2025): 345-366. https://doi.org/10.30913/alinterisosbil.1799268.
JAMA
1.Saylan T, Yıldırım B. The Use of Soft Power in Psychological Warfare: References to Religion in Post-September 11 Armenian Literature. AJOSS. 2025;9:345–366.
MLA
Saylan, Tuna, and Bülent Yıldırım. “The Use of Soft Power in Psychological Warfare: References to Religion in Post-September 11 Armenian Literature”. Alınteri Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, vol. 9, no. 2, Dec. 2025, pp. 345-66, doi:10.30913/alinterisosbil.1799268.
Vancouver
1.Tuna Saylan, Bülent Yıldırım. The Use of Soft Power in Psychological Warfare: References to Religion in Post-September 11 Armenian Literature. AJOSS. 2025 Dec. 1;9(2):345-66. doi:10.30913/alinterisosbil.1799268