Doğu Perinçek (born 1942) is a Turkish politician, lawyer, and writer. He is the chairman of the Homeland Party (Vatan Partisi), a left-nationalist and Eurasianist political party in Turkey.
Perinçek has a long and controversial political career. He was a prominent figure in the Turkish socialist movement in the 1960s and 1970s, advocating for a "National Democratic Revolution" in Turkey. He founded several socialist and communist organizations, including the Workers' Peasants' Party of Turkey (Türkiye İşçi Köylü Partisi - TİKP), which later became the Workers' Party (İşçi Partisi).
In the 2000s, Perinçek shifted his political ideology towards Eurasianism and nationalism. He became a strong advocate for closer ties with Russia and China and adopted a more nationalist stance on issues such as the Kurdish question and the Armenian genocide.
Perinçek has been a vocal denier of the Armenian Genocide, a position that has led to international condemnation and legal battles. In 2015, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled against Switzerland for convicting Perinçek for denying the Armenian Genocide, citing freedom of expression. However, the Grand Chamber of the ECHR later overturned that ruling in 2015, stating that Perinçek's statements did not incite hatred or intolerance.
Throughout his career, Perinçek has been involved in numerous legal cases and controversies, including allegations of involvement in clandestine activities and links to the "Ergenekon" conspiracy, a supposed deep state organization accused of plotting to overthrow the Turkish government. He was convicted in the Ergenekon trials but was later released after the cases were overturned.
Perinçek and his party have consistently participated in Turkish elections, though they have not achieved significant electoral success at the national level. He remains a prominent figure in Turkish political discourse, particularly among nationalist and Eurasianist circles.