The group were found guilty on Wednesday of the premeditated murders of Turkish Christians Necati Aydin and Ugur Yuksel and German Protestant Tilmann Geske in April 2007.
Emre Gunaydin, Salih Gurler, Abuzer Yildirim, Cuma Ozdemir and Hamit Ceker (pictured below) were initially free to walk away from Malatya Criminal Court because the case is going to be reviewed by a higher court, meaning the sentences cannot be enforced.
World Watch Monitor, an organisation raising awareness of persecuted Christians, said: "Christians in Turkey are grateful for this development.
"[They] request continued prayers that, a) the motivation and the masterminds behind these murders will be revealed b) the review process of the verdict will proceed smoothly, and the guilty verdict will be upheld."
Premier reported on Thursday concerns that confidence among Christians in Turkey's justice system had been severely damaged after the gang were allowed to walk free from court on Wednesday.