BEFORE reading a “poem” on German television on March 31st, Jan Böhmermann, a satirist of questionable tact, explained that he wanted to clarify the boundaries of free-speech law. He then declaimed a series of obviously fictional passages (in rhyming verse) depicting Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, engrossed in a series of athletically challenging sexual activities with barnyard animals. By the time the broadcaster took the video off its website a day later, it had caused a diplomatic fracas between Turkey and Germany. The tension had been a long time brewing. In 2007 the chancellor, Angela Merkel, snubbed Mr Erdogan by opposing Turkish membership of the European Union. As Mr Erdogan’s rule became increasingly autocratic, Mrs Merkel often chided him for nobbling dissidents and the press. But in 2015 refugees started streaming into the EU via Turkey. Suddenly Mrs Merkel needed Mr Erdogan’s help. The result is the deal that the EU, at Mrs Merkel’s prodding, made with Turkey last month. In return for taking back migrants from Greece and cracking down on people-smugglers, Turkey gets billions in aid and new talks...
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