The European Court of Human Rights has ordered Turkey to pay 90 million euros ($A135 million) to compensate Greek Cypriots who suffered discrimination as a result of the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
The court said on Monday 30 million euros should go to the families of people who disappeared after the invasion, and the rest to enclaved Greek Cypriots on the Karpas peninsula in the north of the divided island under Turkish Cypriot control.
The judges in their majority decision noted that the compensation was for individuals and not the Greek Cypriot state.
"Those sums were to be distributed by the Cypriot government to the individual victims of the violations," the ECHR said in a statement.
The so-called "just satisfaction award" comes 13 years after the European court found Turkey guilty of "massive and continuous" rights violations following its military invasion and the creation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is only recognised by Ankara.
The July 1974 invasion by Turkish forces - following an attempted coup by Greek Cypriots supported by a military junta in Greece - led to a mass displacement of ethnic Greeks and Turks in Cyprus.
The island is split between the Turkish Cypriot state in the north and the remainder of the Mediterranean island, known officially as the Republic of Cyprus, which is predominantly ethnic Greek and joined the European Union in May 2004. Despite United Nations efforts, reunification has proven elusive.
