Complicated historical processes in the Ottoman Empire at the end of the XIX century gave birth to the idea of Turkism in scientific thought. Objectively, the priority goals of this idea, serving as self-identification of the Turkic peoples, were rather not a political, but scientific, cultural ones. This idea spread widely among peoples conquered by the Russian Empire, and found active support among the intelligentsia of these peoples. Historical analysis of the formation and development of the Turkism idea requires special attention to the creativity and socio-political activities of Ottoman-Turkic intellectuals and enlighteners. During the research, the role of Ismail Gasprinsky, Yusuf Akchura, Vafik Pasha and other enlighteners in support of the Turkism idea was determined. The spread of the Turkism idea in the Kazakh steppe and its main directions are established through an analysis of the creativity of philosopher Shakarim Kudaiberdiuly and the poet Magzhan Zhumabayev.