An embodiment of the invention provides a terminal identification method, system, terminal device and base station. The terminal identification method includes: sending, by a terminal device, a network attachment request message to a base station, wherein the network attachment request message carries an operator identity corresponding to the terminal device; receiving, by the base station, the network attachment request message; identifying the terminal device type by the base station according to the operator identity. In the embodiment of the invention, when the terminal device includes an access terminal and a relay terminal, the base station can identify the access terminal and the relay terminal according to different operator identities, so that the base station can distinguish out the access terminal and the relay terminal, furthermore, the base station can send data to the corresponding terminal device, the problem that the access terminal or the relay terminal has logical confusion during data processing can be avoided.