Workers' Party (Turkey)

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The Workers' Party (Turkish: İşçi Partisi), commonly referred to as the İP, is a former Turkish far-left and nationalist political party founded in 1992 by Doğu Perinçek. The party's ideology combines elements of maoism with a tendency towards Kemalism, a form of nationalism that emphasizes the importance of the modern Turkish state.

The Workers' Party was established on the basis of the Revolutionary Workers-Agricultural Party of Turkey (T?) and the Socialist Party. Its programming documents adopt scientific socialism as its foundation, incorporating elements of Kemalist nationalism to a greater extent than other left parties in Turkey. The party's leadership views Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, as a bourgeois-democratic revolutionary whose ideas are among the guides for their ideology.

The Workers' Party accepts the principles of Kemalism as a means to achieve social and secular Turkish national state, but criticizes the pro-Western and pro-American policy of the current government in Turkey. The party's ideologists argue that Kemalism was realized through the war of independence in 1919 and that Atatürk's ideas are essential for understanding their own ideology.

The Workers' Party has never been represented in Parliament and its election scores have been minimal, with only 0.51% in the 2002 elections. Despite this, the party remains a significant force on the Turkish left, advocating for revolutionary rhetoric and elements of Kemalism. In February 2015, the party changed its name to the Patriotic Party (Turkish: ), emphasizing its commitment to kemalism and approaching the principles of the Party of Justice and Development led by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The Workers' Party's ideology is rooted in a combination of maoist rhetoric and Turkish patriotism. The party supports revolutionary ideas, but also emphasizes the importance of Kemalism as a means to achieve social justice and equality. Despite its limited electoral success, the Workers' Party remains an important voice on the Turkish left, advocating for radical change and a return to the principles of Atatürk's era.

Ideology

The ideology of the Workers' Party is characterized by a combination of maoist rhetoric and elements of Kemalism. The party supports revolutionary ideas, but also emphasizes the importance of Kemalism as a means to achieve social justice and equality. According to the party's ideologists, Kemalism was realized through the war of independence in 1919 and that Atatürk's ideas are essential for understanding