Third Army
The Third Army is a field army of the Turkish Army responsible primarily for land defence and military readiness in eastern Turkey.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Third Army, formally known in Turkish as 3'üncü Ordu Komutanlığı, is a field army of the Turkish Army and one of the principal operational formations of the Turkish Land Forces. It is headquartered in Erzurum and is associated with Turkey's eastern and northeastern defence posture. The formation is described as the country's largest army in the cited reference material, although its precise strength and current order of battle are not established here. The army's institutional lineage reaches back to the final years of the Ottoman period and the reorganization of Turkish military commands during the Turkish War of Independence. The Ninth Army Troops Inspectorate was redesignated the Third Army Troops Inspectorate on 15 June 1919. The modern Third Army traces its formal origins to 1923, following the establishment of the Republic of Turkey. Its history has therefore been shaped by the transition from late Ottoman military administration to the republican Turkish Army. During the Cold War, the Third Army was deployed along the Caucasus frontier. Its role was to deter or respond to a possible Soviet advance from the Transcaucasus Military District. In 1973, with headquarters at Erzincan, the army included the 8th Corps at Elazığ, the 9th Corps at Erzurum, and the 11th Corps at Trabzon. The 1974 Turkish intervention in Cyprus and subsequent reorganization led to the relocation of the 11th Corps headquarters to Northern Cyprus. These arrangements reflected the army's wider regional responsibilities rather than a single fixed territorial mission. After the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union, Turkey's strategic priorities shifted toward instability along its southern and eastern borders. The General Staff reportedly transferred approximately 120,000 Third Army personnel toward the Iraqi border to improve readiness for regional crises, including those associated with the Gulf War and the Iraq War. The formation's armored, mechanized, commando, artillery, and infantry elements have been positioned to support rapid movement toward several of Turkey's frontiers. The army is particularly associated with the borders adjoining Armenia and Georgia, while elements and subordinate formations have also been linked to the Iranian frontier. The Third Army has participated in international operations as well as domestic and border defence missions. Approximately 300 personnel were sent to Somalia to serve with United Nations forces under UNITAF and UNOSOM II. Lieutenant General Çevik Bir, who had previously commanded the army's 4th Armoured Brigade, later served as Force Commander of UNOSOM II from 1992 to 1995. This involvement gave the formation a connection to Turkey's wider peace-support and expeditionary activities. Its historical record also includes serious controversy. In July 1943, during the tenure of army commander General Mustafa Muğlalı, 32 Kurdish and Küresünni civilians in Özalp, Van, were executed after being accused of animal smuggling. The episode, commonly known as the Muğlalı incident, later resulted in legal proceedings against Muğlalı. He died while imprisoned and awaiting trial. The incident remains an important and troubling part of the army's historical record. Publicly available descriptions of the Third Army's post-Cold War structure have varied. A 2007 Russian source cited in the reference material described an organization built around the 8th and 9th Army Corps, a separate infantry brigade, and a separate armoured brigade, with additional mechanized, infantry, tank, artillery, and special-purpose units. The 9th Infantry Division appears to have been disbanded by 2005, but the precise current order of battle is not confirmed in the supplied sources. The Third Army should therefore be understood as a military formation rather than a consumer brand, commercial company, or independently incorporated enterprise.
History
The Third Army's historical lineage extends to the reorganization of Ottoman military authorities during the Turkish War of Independence. On 15 June 1919, the Ninth Army Troops Inspectorate was redesignated the Third Army Troops Inspectorate. The formation's formal republican origins are generally traced to 1923, after the establishment of the Republic of Turkey. The army became an important part of Turkey's eastern defence system. During the Cold War it was stationed along the Caucasus frontier, where its principal strategic purpose was to deter a possible Soviet attack through the Transcaucasus Military District. In 1973 its headquarters was at Erzincan, with the 8th Corps at Elazığ, the 9th Corps at Erzurum, and the 11th Corps at Trabzon. The formations assigned to it included infantry divisions and brigades responsible for the eastern and northeastern approaches. After the 1974 Turkish intervention in Cyprus, the 11th Corps headquarters was transferred to Northern Cyprus. The army's history includes a major human-rights controversy. In July 1943, 32 Kurdish and Küresünni civilians in Özalp, Van, were executed after being accused of animal smuggling. The killings were carried out on the orders of General Mustafa Muğlalı, who had commanded the army. Muğlalı was prosecuted years later and died in prison while awaiting trial. The Muğlalı incident remains associated with the history of the Third Army and illustrates the severe consequences of military authority in the region during the period. The end of the Cold War altered the formation's strategic environment. With the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact no longer constituting the same direct threat, Turkey placed greater emphasis on instability and conflict along its southern and eastern borders. The General Staff reportedly moved approximately 120,000 Third Army personnel toward the Iraqi border, including armoured, mechanized, and commando units intended to respond quickly to crises connected with Iraq. The army has also been associated with garrisons and formations near the Armenian, Georgian, and Iranian borders. The Third Army participated in international peace-support operations during the early 1990s. Around 300 of its personnel served with the United Nations presence in Somalia under UNITAF and UNOSOM II. Lieutenant General Çevik Bir, previously associated with the army's 4th Armoured Brigade, became UNOSOM II Force Commander and held that position from 1992 to 1995. Descriptions of the formation's order of battle have changed over time. The 9th Infantry Division appears to have been disbanded by 2005. A 2007 Russian description cited an organization centered on the 8th and 9th Army Corps, together with separate infantry and armoured brigades and several mechanized, tank, infantry, and artillery formations. The supplied references do not establish the complete current structure or the current commander. Today, the Third Army is headquartered in Erzurum and remains a major Turkish field army associated with the country's eastern and northeastern defence.
- 2005
9th Infantry Division apparently disbanded
[1]The 9th Infantry Division appears to have been disbanded by 2005, although the supplied material does not provide a formal dissolution notice.
- 1992
Participation in Somalia operations
[1]Approximately 300 Third Army personnel served with UNITAF and UNOSOM II in Somalia.
- 1974
11th Corps moved to North Cyprus
[1]The headquarters of the 11th Corps was moved to Northern Cyprus after Turkey's intervention in Cyprus.
- 1973
Cold War structure centered on eastern corps
[1]With headquarters at Erzincan, the army included the 8th Corps, 9th Corps, and 11th Corps in eastern and northeastern Turkey.
- 1958
Ragıp Gümüşpala assumes command
[1]General Ragıp Gümüşpala commanded the Third Army between 1958 and 1960.
- 1943
Muğlalı incident
[1]Thirty-two civilians were executed in Özalp, Van, in an incident later linked to army commander Mustafa Muğlalı and followed by legal proceedings.
- 1941
Eastern-area order of battle
[1]The 1941 organization included the IX, VIII, VII, and XVIII Corps together with fortified-area commands at Erzurum and Kars.
- 1923
Republican-era Third Army established
[1]The Third Army traces its formal institutional origins to 1923, following the creation of the Republic of Turkey.
- 1919
Ninth Army Troops Inspectorate redesignated
[1]The Ninth Army Troops Inspectorate was redesignated the Third Army Troops Inspectorate on 15 June 1919, establishing an important predecessor of the later formation.
Products and positioning
A major Turkish land-force formation positioned for eastern and northeastern territorial defence, border readiness, corps-level operations, and selected international missions.
Controversies
Marketing campaigns
- 1992Somalia peace-support deployment
Somalia
Around 300 Third Army personnel served alongside United Nations forces in Somalia under UNITAF and UNOSOM II. The deployment represented the formation's participation in an overseas peace-support mission rather than a commercial campaign.
Outcome. The personnel contributed to the United Nations presence in Somalia; the supplied material does not specify the unit-level outcome or rotation dates.
Brand decisions
1974
Relocation of the 11th Corps headquartersStrategyBackground
Turkey's intervention in Cyprus changed the regional deployment of formations associated with the Third Army.
Action taken
The 11th Corps headquarters was moved to Northern Cyprus.
Aftermath
The relocation expanded the army's association with Turkey's Cyprus-related military posture.
- Post-Cold War redeployment toward IraqStrategy
Background
The collapse of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact reduced the salience of the former Caucasus threat while increasing attention to crises on Turkey's southern and eastern borders.
Action taken
The General Staff reportedly sent approximately 120,000 Third Army personnel toward the Iraqi border and emphasized rapidly deployable armoured, mechanized, and commando formations.
Aftermath
The army's stated strategic emphasis shifted toward readiness for crises connected with Iraq and other regional contingencies.
Recent events
- 1992
Third Army personnel deployed to Somalia[1]
Other
Approximately 300 personnel from the Third Army served with United Nations operations in Somalia under UNITAF and UNOSOM II.
- 1974
11th Corps headquarters moved to North Cyprus[1]
Other
Following Turkey's military intervention in Cyprus, the 11th Corps headquarters associated with the Third Army was moved to Northern Cyprus.
Post-Cold War redeployment toward the Iraqi border[1]
Other
After the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union, the Turkish General Staff reportedly repositioned about 120,000 Third Army personnel toward the Iraqi border to improve readiness for regional crises.
Sources1 sources
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