Sustaining conflict: identity, ontological (in)security, and Azerbaijan’s policy toward Armenia after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War

This article analyzes the continuation of anti-Armenian sentiments and irredentist narratives in post-2020 Azerbaijan through the lens of the Ontological Security Concept. Despite achieving military gains and territorial control in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan’s national identity construction policy continues to rely on portraying Armenians as the primary ‘Other’. This study highlights how persistent conflict, state rhetoric, and redefined pseudohistory-based irredentist narratives serve as tools for internal cohesion and addressing ontological anxieties for state elites. The article argues that Azerbaijan’s policy is fundamentally rooted in identity and ontological concerns, affecting prospects for sustainable peace in the region.