Handle with caution: Turkey's prime minister is a sensitive fellow. Photo: Wilson Dias

It’s a bit like the person who says sorry when you tell them to stop apologising. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who on 12th June cemented his place in Turkish history by leading his AK party to a third consecutive election victory, is not a man who handles criticism well. Just ask Michael Dickinson, an English teacher living in Istanbul, who was sued by Erdogan in 2006 after creating a collage of the prime minister’s head atop a dog’s body. Or two Turkish students who have languished in prison for over a year after unfurling a banner at an Erdogan speech calling for free education. The latest victim is The Economist, which was tongue-lashed by Erdogan on the campaign trail for suggesting that his intolerance of criticism meant it might not be a bad idea if Turks opted