ÇATIŞMA SONUCU DOĞAN, KRİZLE YENİDEN ŞEKİLLENEN: PAŞİNYAN DÖNEMİNDE ERMENİ DİASPORASININ SİYASİ DEĞİŞİMİ

This thesis analyzes the political reactions and influence of the Armenian diaspora in the United States during the rule of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, with a focus on diaspora organizations, media outlets, and financial engagement with the homeland. Drawing on diaspora theory, the study conceptualizes the Armenian diaspora as a heterogeneous field of actors rather than a unified political entity. The analysis covers the period beginning with the 2018 Velvet Revolution and traces shifts in diaspora attitudes through the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War and its aftermath. The findings demonstrate that U.S.-based Armenian diaspora organizations and media outlets initially expressed strong support for Pashinyan’s reformist agenda, portraying him as a symbol of democratic renewal. Following the 2020 war, however, this support eroded and gave way to disillusionment, criticism, and pragmatic distancing. While diaspora media outlets adopted increasingly confrontational rhetoric, diaspora organizations pursued more cautious strategies shaped by their institutional ties to the Armenian state. The thesis further shows that diaspora financial engagement—through remittances and philanthropic fundraising—remained stable despite growing political dissatisfaction. This challenges assumptions that political discontent leads to reduced economic support. By combining discourse analysis with empirical data on financial flows, this study argues that sustained diaspora economic engagement may inadvertently weaken domestic political accountability rather than enhance diaspora leverage, contributing to broader debates on diaspora–homeland relations and post-conflict governance.