Judges at the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled the Kurds' freedom of expression had been violated, defending "pluralism, tolerance and the spirit of openness, without which there would be no democratic society."

A Turkish court in 2008 had fined the claimants 700 euros each ($950) for "praising crime and a criminal" after they had filed a petition demanding their right to use the title 'Mr' in referring to Ocalan.

Three years earlier a leader from the pro-Kurdish party DEHAP had also been sentenced to 10 months in prison for publicly using the term.

The European court said "the claimants appear in no way to have expressed any support for the actions committed by Abdullah Ocalan or the PKK or any approval in this respect."

Turkey this week announced reforms designed to revive its stalled peace process with the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), of which Ocalan is leader.

The European court granted the Kurds 640 euros each to compensate them for the original fine and 2,500 euros for moral damages.

The Turkish authorities have three months to appeal the case.