Türkiye’s “Octopus” Metaphor War: Erdoğan vs. Özel in a Rhetorical Power Clash

A heated political exchange is escalating in Türkiye, triggered by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan‘s dramatic comparison of alleged misconduct within Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality to an “octopus” with tentacles extending across the nation and abroad.

In a speech earlier this month, Erdoğan framed an ongoing investigation into the opposition-led municipality as a national security issue, stating, “This dark network has morphed into an octopus with arms reaching municipalities, institutions, even abroad.” The president alleged it involves a sprawling criminal structure embedded in politics, bureaucracy, business, the media, and even religious sects.

The metaphor, however, has now taken on a life of its own.

Özel Counters with His Own Octopus Allegory

On Tuesday, Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel fired back with a symbolic rebuttal. In a passionate speech to his parliamentary group, he presented two octopus illustrations—one depicting the creature strangling civil servants, retirees, and laborers, and another with tentacles marked by high-profile scandals, including bribery cases, charity fraud, and political cronyism.

“Mr. Erdoğan keeps talking about octopuses,” Özel said. “Let’s assume, for a moment, that what he says is true. Even then, it shows that the judiciary is compromised, because he’s receiving information from an ongoing secret investigation.”

Özel’s accusations went further, invoking alleged favoritism toward companies labeled as the “gang of five”, past corruption cases from 2013, and what he described as the “Northern Cyprus heist”—a reference to purported misconduct involving Turkish officials on the island. He also cited connections between controversial pro-government foundations and senior ministers.

The Octopus as a Political Weapon

Erdoğan introduced the metaphor while discussing a new investigation that may implicate the İstanbul municipality, linking it to foreign loan dealings. Though Ekrem İmamoğlu, Istanbul’s former mayor and prominent opposition figure, wasn’t directly named, many observers see the crackdown as aimed at him.

“This is an organized crime structure that extends beyond municipal corruption into a threat to national security,” Erdoğan declared. Analysts suggest the metaphor may serve as a pretext for legal and political actions—potentially even against religious groups like the Süleymancılar, inferred from Erdoğan’s allusions to “sects.”

Constitution and Political Calculus

At the heart of this rhetorical storm lies a deeper political objective. Erdoğan’s reference to the octopus may be more than symbolic—it might be a maneuver to pressure the opposition into cooperating on a controversial new constitution. During a prior speech, he urged Özel to break free from “the yoke of this criminal organization,” signaling what analysts interpret as a final offer for dialogue before sidelining the CHP entirely.

Despite mounting pressure, Özel is doubling down. Instead of stepping back, he’s intensifying his critique—aiming to reshape the metaphor into one that indicts the AKP’s governance rather than the opposition’s.

From Radishes to Tentacles: What’s Next?

This evolving narrative follows Erdoğan’s earlier “radish in the saddlebag” metaphor, which was followed by concrete policy moves. Now, with the “octopus” analogy, commentators are speculating on potential future actions—including judicial, financial, or constitutional shifts.