Duchess of York accused of smearing Turkey's image

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish officials have accused Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, of smearing Turkey's image on a television program about state orphanages in Turkey ahead of a European Union membership report.

Ferguson went under cover with reporters for ITN to visit state-run orphanages in Ankara and Istanbul and expose conditions there. The documentary will be on ITV on November 6.

"It is obvious that Sarah Ferguson is ill-intentioned and is trying to launch a smearing campaign against Turkey by opposing Turkey's EU membership," Nimet Cubukcu, a minister in charge of women and family affairs, told Anatolian agency late Monday.

"It is saddening that Sarah Ferguson made video shots with an orientalist point of view which she is not permitted to make in her own country and tried to cause indignation in Turkey," Cubukcu said.

The European Commission will publish Wednesday a report on countries wanting to join the 27-member bloc. Turkey, a large Muslim country, began membership negotiations in October 2005. The EU has repeatedly criticised Turkey for its human rights record and has urged the government to speed up reforms.

"This is a valid area of public interest at a time when the UK government is endorsing the accession of Turkey into the EU, a process which is conditional in part on Turkey improving its human rights record with children," an ITV spokesperson said.

A spokeswoman said on behalf of the Duchess, "She is apolitical; therefore she has no political motivations. This is all about the welfare of children."

A government official told Reuters Tuesday, "We object to the undercover methodology of the documentary. We should have been informed about their plans to do a documentary on orphanages. This could have an impact on our image in Europe."

According to a reporter who accompanied Sarah Ferguson on the trip, which also included visits to orphanages in Romania, children were found tied to their beds or left in filthy cots.