17/11/2016 (Agence Europe) – The European Parliament's Conference of Presidents decided on Thursday 17 November to plan a debate on the situation in Turkey at the European Parliament’s plenary on Tuesday 22 November, followed by a vote on the same matter on Thursday 24 November. In a press release, the chair of the S&D group, Gianni Pittella, said that on the initiative of his group, the European Parliament would be voting on a resolution on a temporary freeze of Turkey's accession negotiations. Under the rules of the negotiation process between the EU and Turkey, only the Council can actually decide to suspend the talks. Since the last debate and vote in plenary on Turkey (during the session at the end of October – see EUROPE 11656), on a resolution on freedom of the press, there have been new arrests of journalists in Turkey along with arrests of parliamentarians from the pro-Kurdish HDP party. (CG)