Folklore served Turkish nationalism in different ways. This essay explores five original texts of folklore written by Young Turk intellectuals, namely Ziya Gokalp, Yusuf Akqura, Fuat Kopriilu, Riza Tevfik and Selim Sirri Tarcan, between 1913-1929. It elaborates on the ways in which these Ottoman intellectuals approached this new discipline and discussed its use in the context of rising Turkish nationalism.