The 2017 Reina Nightclub Attack
A New Year's celebration at Istanbul's Reina nightclub became the scene of a terrorist attack that killed 39 people. The identified gunman was captured, convicted and ultimately had his principal convictions upheld on appeal.
In the early hours of January 1, 2017, an attacker targeted the Reina nightclub in Istanbul's Ortaköy district while hundreds of people were celebrating the New Year. Thirty-nine people were killed, including a police officer and many foreign nationals, and dozens more were wounded.
The victims and the investigation
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility. Turkish investigators identified Uzbek national Abdulkadir Masharipov as the gunman. He escaped the scene but was arrested in Istanbul after a large manhunt later that month.
Because the case involved numerous defendants and several different alleged roles, this file does not treat every accused person as having the same level of responsibility. The criminal record includes convictions, acquittals and later appellate reversals affecting different defendants.
The 2020 trial judgment
On September 7, 2020, Istanbul's 27th Heavy Penal Court convicted Masharipov of violating the Constitution and deliberately killing 39 people. He received 40 aggravated life sentences — one for the constitutional offense and 39 for the killings — plus 1,368 years for attempted murder and a firearms offense.
The trial court also sentenced other defendants on aiding or terrorist-organization charges, while acquitting 11 defendants. Those different outcomes matter: acquitted people are not described here as participants in the murders.
The 2025 Supreme Court ruling
On January 21, 2025, the 3rd Criminal Chamber of Turkey's Court of Cassation reviewed the appeals. It upheld Masharipov's 40 aggravated life sentences and 1,368-year term. The chamber also upheld prison sentences for 31 other defendants.
The appellate court did not simply affirm every trial judgment. It reversed rulings concerning 13 defendants, including Ilyas Mamasaripov, whose trial-court punishment had been tied to allegations that he helped plan the attack. The page therefore classifies the core gunman case as finally adjudicated while preserving the fact that proceedings against other defendants had differing appellate outcomes.
Timeline
- Attack at Reina
Thirty-nine people are killed at the Istanbul nightclub during New Year's celebrations.
- Gunman arrested
Police capture Abdulkadir Masharipov in Istanbul after a manhunt.
- Trial judgment
Masharipov receives 40 aggravated life sentences plus 1,368 years; other defendants receive varied outcomes.
- Top appeals court rules
Turkey's Court of Cassation upholds Masharipov's principal sentences and those of 31 other defendants while reversing decisions affecting 13 others.
Current status
The attack is solved and adjudicated as to the identified gunman. Masharipov's principal convictions and sentences were upheld by Turkey's top appeals court in January 2025. Separate defendants had different appellate outcomes, so the broader case history should not be compressed into a claim that every original judgment became final unchanged.
This file reports court outcomes defendant by defendant where necessary. A reversed conviction, an acquittal and an upheld conviction are not interchangeable.
Sources and further reading
- Anadolu Agency — Court of Cassation upholds Masharipov's sentences, January 21, 2025
- Anadolu Agency — 2020 trial judgment and sentencing details
- Associated Press / Euronews — attack, victims and 2020 conviction
- Turkish Minute — appellate outcomes for Masharipov and other defendants, January 21, 2025
Last reviewed: August 28, 2026