The Netherlands government should have followed the German government lead and kept its cool. Had they followed the German lead it would have been much easier to deal with this obviously volatile Turkish president. Germany had all the more reason to be upset because Erdogan had first used the ‘nazi’ slur against them.

But Germany did not lose its cool. It wanted to de-escalate without losing face - though some Turkish meetings in Germany were banned.

The statement by the President of the Bundestag Norbert Lammert this week regarding this issue spoke of "turbulent times or even hysterical times" was a masterstroke of wit, intransigence and practical realism.