The subject is taboo in most places. Documents are inaccessible because of Ataturk's language reforms in the 1920s, changing the Turkish alphabet from Arabic to Latin script. Even Turks who yearn to discover their history cannot easily find it. But the story is nevertheless being told. Armenian and Turkish scholars have plumbed old documents for proof that genocide occurred.
Outsiders are interested, too.
Last fall, for instance, Israel introduced a new school curriculum about the Armenian genocide. Turkey's reluctance to face up to its history may be linked to demands for restitution. Several Armenian property claims are underway, including lawsuits against U.S. insurance companies. It's plain that genocide has a financial price, as well as moral and legal implications. The costs are indeed great, but the Turkish Republic still must come to grips with the past.