Seeking Justice through Metaphors: A Semantic Analysis of Ahmet Altan's Trial Defense in 2018

This article examines the metaphorical representations of justice and despotism in the novels of Ahmet Altan, with a focus on the conceptual frameworks that shape legal and political discourse. Drawing on the theory of conceptual metaphor by Lakoff and Johnson, the study analyzes how metaphors serve not only as literary devices but also as tools for political critique, especially in the context of authoritarian regimes. Through a close reading of Kılıç Yarası Gibi, İsyan Günlerinde Aşk, and Ölmek Kolaydır Sevmekten, the article reveals how Altan employs figurative language to reconstruct the perception of justice and challenge the legitimacy of state power. This interdisciplinary analysis situates literature as a site where law, power, and resistance converge symbolically and ideologically.