| Doğu Perinçek | |
|---|---|
| Doğu Perinçek, 24 July 2005 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 June 1942 Gaziantep in Turkiye, |
| Nationality | Turkey |
| Political party | Workers' Party (Turkey) |
| Spouse(s) | Şule Perinçek |
Doğu Perinçek (born June 17, 1942 in Gaziantep[1]) is a Turkish politician, leader of the Workers' Party (Turkish: İşçi Partisi), a scientific socialist organization, and former chairman of the Workers' Party (Turkey). His first name Doğu means "East" in Turkish.
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Perinçek was born to Sadık Perinçek of Apçağa, Kemaliye, and Lebibe Olcaytu of Balaban, Darende. Sadık Perinçek was the deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Court and parliamentary deputy of the Justice Party (AP); the predecessor of the True Path Party (DYP). although this contradicts Perinçek's self-published genealogy.[2][3] His father was an assistant for the Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Court, and later a parliamentarian. Perinçek attended Ankara Sarar primary school, an Atatürk Lycee, and Bahçelievler Deneme high school.[1]
He interrupted his university education to work in Germany, going on to finish Ankara University's Law faculty, and working as an assistant in public law.[1] Perinçek lives in Gayrettepe, Istanbul with his wife Şule Perinçek. They have two daughters, Zeynep and Kiraz, and two sons, Can and Mehmet Bora.[1][4][5]
In 1990, Perinçek was arrested and put in Diyarbakir Prison after the issue of the Law of Censorship and Exile.[6]
Perinçek is notable as being the first person to be convicted by a court of law for denial of the Armenian Genocide. On 9 March 2007, he was found guilty by a Swiss district court of conscious violation of Swiss laws against genocide denial with a racist motivation and was fined CHF 12,000. The case was a result of Perinçek's description of the Armenian genocide as "an international lie" at a demonstration in Lausanne on 25 July 2005.[7] The verdict was confirmed by the Vaud cantonal appeal court on 19 June, and by the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland on 12 December 2007.[8] Perinçek announced he will take recourse to the European Court of Human Rights.[9]
On 21 March 2008, Perinçek was detained as part of an investigation into the ultra-nationalist underground organization named Ergenekon. This followed the arrest and detention of 39 suspects in January 2008 during raids targeting Ergenekon.[10]
The investigation's indictment also contains similar allegations, made by the National Intelligence Organization.[11] Upon receiving news of Perinçek's arrest, Russian Eurasianist ideologue Aleksandr Dugin said "this operation against a pro-Russian group in Turkey has shown who our friends and foes are".[12] This prompted allegations that he was affiliated with the group, which he adamantly denied.[13] The investigation is currently underway; the veracity of the claims are yet to be established.
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by newly founded |
Leader of the Workers' Party (İP) Jul 10, 1992–present |
Succeeded by incumbent |