After much speculation about where it stands, Turkey is now signaling that it will no longer sit on the fence regarding the Islamic State (IS) and will participate in efforts against it in any way needed.

Ankara has finally taken a position after securing the release of 49 Turkish hostages, including its consul general, who were kidnapped in June as IS overran Mosul. Ankara’s decision also comes after IS achieved serious recent advances in northern Syria, forcing hundreds of thousands of mostly Kurdish refugees to flee toward the Turkish border.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who's in New York for the UN General Assembly, has offered Turkey’s strong backing for the military strikes against IS positions in Syria by the United States with support from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain.

“This step taken against this target, this action against terrorist organizations, is one that we, too, approach in a positive manner. I think it will be wrong if there is a serious lapse after such a step has been taken. This road map must be followed with determination,” Erdogan said during a panel discussion organized by the Council on Foreign Relations on Sept. 23.