Duchess defends film on orphanage

The former wife of Queen Elizabeth's second son Andrew has defended her participation in a British television documentary on state orphanages in Turkey that angered the aspiring E.U. member.

But Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, apologized for any embarrassment the expose may have caused Turkey and admitted she felt "uncomfortable" donning a wig to disguise her identity when entering one facility with hidden cameras.

The documentary, scheduled to be aired on ITV1's Tonight program yesterday evening, follows Ferguson as she visits state orphanages in Turkey and Romania. She poses as a potential charitable donor and secret cameras follow her.

"I am not a political person. I am apolitical and multi-faith," Ferguson told Reuters in an interview following a press screening of the program.

"I stand by my words ... that I'm sorry if it caused them any embarrassment," the 49-year-old duchess said in response to Turkish officials who accused her of smearing the country's image and opposing its bid to join the European Union.

"I also stand by our prime minister, who said that if they fall into the right criteria we welcome Turkey to ascend into the EU. Fantastic -- that means they have to fall in with the human rights criteria for children."

Ferguson said she did not know if the timing of the program, aired a day after the annual E.U. enlargement report, was deliberate on the part of ITV. The channel was not immediately available for comment.

The E.U. executive's report said Turkey needed to step up work on issues like human rights and judicial reform. The country said it was determined to pursue its bid to join the bloc.

Disturbing scenes
The film, "Duchess and Daughters: Their Secret Mission", follows Ferguson as she visits state institutions for orphans and disabled children in Turkey and Romania posing as a potential charitable donor accompanied by hidden cameras.

Princess Eugenie, Ferguson's daughter, accompanied her to some institutions in Turkey, although Ferguson left her behind when visiting the Saray facility near Ankara.

There she donned a wig and headscarf to disguise her identity, and saw disturbing scenes including a handicapped boy lying in the corridor where he had crawled in order to bathe his face in a spot of sunlight through a window.

On her visits, Ferguson also saw evidence of children being tied to beds, confined to cribs all day including at mealtimes, a boy being kept in a wooden box to prevent him getting out and disabled children generally neglected by overworked staff.

A Turkish official said the government objected to the "undercover methodology" of the documentary, saying it could "impact on our image in Europe."

Ferguson admitted she felt uncomfortable using a disguise.

"It probably wasn't very fair that I was covering the red hair," she said. "Beatrice and Eugenie as members of the royal family were not there ... I did feel a little uncomfortable when I went in with my wig on because I'm not that kind of person.

"However, I knew that they wouldn't let me in if I ... just went as me and it is very important that I do, for the rights of these children, cry about it, because somebody's got to."

Ferguson also went to orphanages in Romania, where she was accompanied by her elder daughter, Princess Beatrice.