The Gülen movement oversaw Sledgehammer and similar trials via its followers in the police and the judiciary, and used its extensive media outlets to craft and disseminate the narrative – built from countless stories of military plots and other malfeasance – on which these cases rested. Its representatives in the United States and Europe lobbied Western politicians and opinion leaders incessantly to vouch for Erdoğan’s democratic credentials.
其中一个盟友至关重要。由宾夕法尼亚州土耳其阿訇法图拉·葛兰追随者组成的葛兰运动完成了这项艰巨的政治任务。葛兰运动通过其在警察和司法部门的追随者跟踪大锤案及类似案件，并利用广泛的媒体渠道来编造和传播故事——这些故事取材于案件背后难以计数的军事阴谋和其他违法活动。葛兰运动在美国和欧洲的代表不断游说西方政客和舆论领袖为埃尔多安的民主行为担保。