ANKARA - Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit appeared to have begun the courtship of a hardline nationalist leader who swept to prominence in Turkey's weekend elections, staking what seems an irresistible claim to power.

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WASHINGTON - The United States, in a departure from a recent warming of relations, expressed concern over Iran's sentencing of four members of the Bahai faith and condemned persecution of Bahai followers.

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WASHINGTON - Turkey is resisting any mention of a greater defence role for the European Union at a NATO summit this week because it fears discrimination, a senior Clinton administration official said.

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RAMALLAH, West Bank - Palestinian lawmakers urged the PLO in a report to declare an independent Palestinian state on May 4.

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ANKARA - Turkish state prosecutors have asked for the death penalty on charges of treason against jailed Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan in a formal indictment, Anatolian news agency said.

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