The Duchess of York Turkey Orphanage (part 3 of 4)

The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, has sparked a diplomatic row between Britain and Turkey with a documentary she filmed on state run orphanages in Turkey.

The Turkish government is threatening the Duchess with legal action over the film which has just aired in Britain.

The film is an expose of the conditions that disabled children are forced to endure in Turkish orphanages.

But the Turkish Government has accused the Duchess of using the film to run a smear campaign against Turkey, just it is trying to join the European Union.

In London, Stephanie Kennedy reports.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: Wearing a black wig and scarf, the undercover Duchess secretly filmed in some of Turkey's orphanages for children with mental disabilities to see firsthand the conditions.

(Extract from documentary)

SARAH FERGUSON: But it is also the smell. It is that smell. It gets into your bones.

REPORTER: Terribly overwhelming.

SARAH FERGUSON: It was, wasn't it?

REPORTER: It really was overwhelming.

SARAH FERGUSON: I think it was really important that we went into that place upstairs. It was just so degrading - the whole thing for these poor people.

(End of extract)

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: The documentary shows one boy who is kept in a box because he's hyperactive.

SARAH FERGUSON: And I saw children with suffering from Down Syndrome and other kinds of disabilities. They are fed on their backs and given no love and no support.

There was one child when I was walking through the orphanage which was crawling on his back to get a gleam of sunlight from an open window. When I passed him he said good morning to me. He speaks English. There was nothing wrong with this boy. He just had a disability in his legs.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: 18-year-old Princess Eugenie accompanied her mother to some of the orphanages and she was clearly moved by what she saw. Tears well up in her eyes and she says she feels angry.

PRINCESS EUGENIE: Well, I was completely overwhelmed. I mean I walked outside and there was a lady who was looking at me with these huge eyes. Just smiling from ear to ear and I was just, she was just so kind and I came in here looking like just, you know to be nice, see what is happening and she was the one who gave me my day.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: Even before the documentary went to air Turkey accused the Duchess of smearing Turkey's image. Authorities say she is trying to sabotage their European Union membership bid.

Turkey's Minister for Women and Family Affairs is Nimet Cubukcu. She says Turkey has nothing to hide and she's accused the Duchess of York of deception.

NIMET CUBUKDU (translated): Recently representations from the Council of Europe visited these orphanages without warning. Sarah Ferguson wanted to go there too but her request was declined politely because of on-going repair works at the orphanages.

Still she went there - circumventing Turkish law - violating our legal system and our constitution by doing so. She abused the trust of the volunteers and charity workers there.

She deceived these people by saying she would pay substantial donations.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: While the duchess is no longer a member of the Royal Family her daughters are, and this diplomatic spat is an embarrassment for their grandmother, the Queen. But Sarah Ferguson denies any political motives.

SARAH FERGUSON: This is my personal point of view. I am not a member of the Royal Family. I am not a politician. I went in there to highlight the plight of children and I have.

Now it seems that I have embarrassed the Turkish Government. Well, let's hope that I have embarrassed them enough in order for them to make changes in the welfare of their children.

I think it is important for the children that are locked in those cages. I really do. I think it is vital. They have got no-one standing up for them and they can't stand up for themselves. Will somebody please do something? OK, I will.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: Turkey's Foreign Minister plans to raise the issue during talks with his British counterpart in London later today. In London this is Stephanie Kennedy reporting for The World Today.

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• princes
• fergie
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[biddowntv]

Regardless of where this institution is, to see many children tied up and restrained because they have a mental disability or challenging behaviour, is inhumane and against their basic human right.

The carers need a tea-break and respite too!

Nothing will change until carers are educated and qualified in this specialised field of care and the monies are allocated to this area.

A child with severe S.L.D. and autism knows when they are loved and cared for.

A risk assessment is necessary PCP

[c0nsensu0mnium]

it looks to me like YOU're the one suffering from guilt nasilemak. If you arent, you aught to be. Now slither on back into your cave and stop wasting peoples time. you are pathetic.

[MsCatlover1994]

The staff are permitted to tie people up for 4 hours? Is that ladyserious? No one should ever be tied up for any length of time. I don't understand why the home has a nice playground and the children aren't allowed to play with the toys. I was horrified at the way they left that poor girl in a locked room tied to a bed, I'm 1000000 % sure she's been tied like that for years. This is no way to treat anyone these children should all be in foster homes, not in that horrible prison.

[Shrink18]

wtf as if they cant do anything about it. assholes! how could they let this happen?

[hpcwsd]

DO NOT ALLOW TURKEY ENTRY INTO THE EU ! PERIOD !

[timm9]

Its clear they dont care.

[europelove02]

Ugh this is disgusting :(

[gorgeous123123]

@triciaskid1 it's hanged...

[triciaskid1]

This is Unbelieveable, I think the Adults who do this to these children should be hung!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aliciooo1]

how can she even go about justifying a mental ill child being tied up! one child is sickening enough but the whole bloody playground was chained to a bench

[davidcool24]

and fuck Romania! what a fucking shit country! why the fuck do we need that scum in the EU? Get the fuck out and take your corruption and your children mistreating out of europe!

[davidcool24]

fuck Turkey! and fuck their request to join the EU!

The day they join the EU, the day I will stop feeling proud of being european