A court in Istanbul slapped lifetime imprisonment sentences on 28 former soldiers for trying to take control of Istanbul's Sabiha Gökçen Airport during the Gülenist Terror Group's (FETÖ) failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.

Judges of the Istanbul 23rd Heavy Penal Court unanimously sentenced eight officers to aggravated life imprisonment and 20 others to life imprisonment for violating the constitution.

During the coup attempt, one non-commissioned officer from the same unit had committed suicide inside a tank upon learning that their actions were in fact a coup attempt. Most FETÖ-linked officers had lied to their subordinates and soldiers that a terror attack took place, and that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) was acting in its command chain to explain their unusual orders.

Following the pro-coup soldiers' surrender, detention and transfer to another area, one escorting police officer was killed due to fire from a pro-coup military unit.

The hearing was attended by locals and Pendik District Mayor Kenan Şahin. On July 15, six people were killed and 42 others were injured in the district as locals tried to prevent other pro-coup units from reaching the airport.

The files of 34 privates that took part in the occupation attempt were separated in an earlier hearing.

The coup attempt led to the deaths of 250 people, mostly civilians, while injuring 2,200 others.