The collection of folk dances and songs has taken a central place in the making of a national culture in modern Turkey. In fact, this interest was rooted in the late Ottoman era, where intellectuals such as Ziya Gökalp, Selim Sırrı Tarcan, Fuat Köprülü, and Rıza Tevfik explored the importance of folklore in the establishment of a national culture. A variety of cultural institutions such as the People's Houses (1932–51) and the state television ( TRT) conducted research and served the spreading o…