While plans for a multinational corps predate recent tensions, Ankara is looking to deepen its defences in the region
Middleeasteye: Nato plans to establish a multinational corps in Turkey, the Turkish defence ministry revealed this week, signalling Ankara’s desire to strengthen its deterrence in the region.
The ministry said work on establishing the multinational corps MNC-TUR has been under way since 2023 as part of Nato’s southern regional plan, and that Ankara’s decision to move forward with it was communicated to Nato allies in 2024.
Ankara has designated the 6th Corps Command, based in the southern province of Adana, to meet the needs of the new headquarters. The corps is expected to be established under the command of a Turkish general, with the necessary appointments already made to the national core staff.
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A source familiar with the planning told Middle East Eye that Turkey plans to complete the work by 2028.
“Work to transform the headquarters into a multinational structure is continuing in coordination with Nato authorities, and the approval process is ongoing, as Nato procedures have not yet been completed,” the ministry said.
It added that the move is not related to the US-Israeli war in Iran, since the decision predates the recent tensions.
A Nato official, speaking anonymously to MEE, said the long-standing work on the multinational corps was continuing.
Echoing the defence ministry’s statement, the official said: “It is important to note that the approval process is ongoing and Nato procedures have not been completed yet.”
Filling a gap
A multinational corps is essentially a command-and-control structure that would take charge of allied forces in the event of a conflict. Nato’s southern regional defence plan covers areas including the Mediterranean, the South Caucasus, the Black Sea and North Africa.
Turkey’s decision to establish a multinational corps in Adana – where the Incirlik airbase hosts US and Spanish troops – has raised eyebrows.
Ankara already hosts Nato’s Land Command in Izmir and the Rapid Deployable Corps in Istanbul, in addition to fielding the alliance’s second-largest military force.
Some experts have questioned whether Ankara really needs another corps in the country.
Photo AFP: Turkish amphibious troops aboard an assault ship during Nato exercises in the Adriatic Sea on 24 September 2025
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