Abstract :The question of when did nationalism emerged, is one of the main issues discussed by studies to understand the phenomenon of nationalism. In this article, this issue is discussed in the context of Turkish nationalism. First, the opinions of Ziya Gökalp and Yusuf Akçura, two founding names of Modern Turkish nationalism, were examined. Then, from the framework drawn by these two names, a periodization was offered for the birth of Turkish nationalism. Consequently, the history of Turkish nationalism was divided into two as pre-modern and modern, and the period of the birth of modern Turkish nationalism was divided into three sub-periods.