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The 3rd (TU) Corps was established in Kırklareli on March 14, 1911
The Corps participated in the First Balkan War on the Çatalca front in 1912, and the Second Balkan War in Edirne in 1913.
During the First World War, The 3rd (TU) Corps took part in the Battle Of Çanakkale (Gallipoli) between 1914 and 1916, and operated on the Caucasus front between 1916 and 1917, and in the Palestine Battles in 1918.
During the Turkish War Of Independence, The 3rd (TU) Corps participated in the Kütahya and Sakarya Battles in 1921, and the Great Attack in 1922.
In August 1966, the Headquarters moved to Harbiye in downtown İstanbul and on 27 April 1973, it was relocated to Ayazağa, its present location.
On 15 July 2001, 3rd (TU) Corps started a transformation process to qualify as a NATO High Readiness Force Corps HQ. It was named NRDC-T.
NRDC-T gained its international status on 10 September 2002. The MOU and technical arrangement were signed on 23 September 2002. After SHAPE’s Deployable Headquarters task force recommendation, SACEUR declared NRDC-T had reached full operational capability. On 19 December 2002, the MC formally endorsed HQ NRDC-T as a NATO Rapid Deployable HRF (l) HQ.
As a result of the MC’s recommendation the NAC confirmed HQ NRDC-T as a NATO High Readiness Force HQ on 14 May 2003.
Upon SACEUR’s proposal, NRDC-T was designated as the first HRF HQ, to form the NATO Response Force from 15 October 2003 to July 2004. NRDC-T was assigned as International Security Assisstance Force (ISAF VII) Headquarters in Afghanistan between 13 January and 04 August 2005. The name of Ayazağa Barracks was changed as General M. Mazlum İSKORA on 05 January 2006. NRDC-T was assigned as International Security Assisstance Force (ISAF XI-II) Headquarters in Afghanistan between 04 August 2008 and 04 February 2009. Also NRDC-T was assigned as International Security Assisstance Force Headquarters for the second times in Afghanistan between 07 January 2014 and 07 July 2014. Also NRDC-T was assigned as Augmentation to International Security Assisstance Force Headquarters and Joint Command HQ in Afghanistan between 07 January 2014 and 07 July 2014.
NRDC-T was certified as a Joint Task Force HQ during Exercise TRIDENT JAGUAR 16 a non-article 5 crisis response high tempo operation, in May 2016 and took its place in the NATO Long Term Rotation Plan. Following the certification, NRDC-T diligently carried out the Stand-by Joint Task Force HQ for a two-year period, between July 2016 and June 2018.
The preparations for NATO Response Force 2021 Land Component Command (NRF21 LCC) mission began in 2019 right after accomplishment of Joint Task Force stand-by role by NRDC-Türkiye. Three exercises were conducted on the road to become NRF21 LCC. NRDC-T HQ was trained, developed and evaluated as NRF21 LCC by conducting Exercise Eurasian Star 2019 (EAST19) on 29 Nov-06 Dec 2019, Exercise Steadfast Cobalt on 14 Sep-09 Oct 2020 (STCO20) and Exercise Steadfast Jupiter-Jackal 20 on 01-10 Dec 2020 (STJU-JA 20). In addition, while assuming NRF21 LCC mission, NRDC-T demonstrated its strategic deployment capability during Exercise Steadfast Defender (STDE21) on 10 May-01 Jun 2021 where the HQ Initial Command Element (ICE) deployed to Romania. With the experiences and lessons learned from these exercises and by focusing on the new operational concepts different from LCC mission, NRDC-T recently conducted Exercise On Guard (OG21) on 14-21 Nov 2021 as an important step in preparations for Exercise Loyal Leda 2022 (LOLE22) and CREVAL. LOLE22 is planned to be conducted next year on 30 Nov-09 Dec 2022 in order to develop and evaluate NRDC-T as a Warfighting Corps (WFC) HQ. As of 01st January 2022, NRF LCC role will be handed over to RRC-FR.