U.S. President Barack Obama, after a long period of hesitation and equivocation, has decided to use military force against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) terrorist movement in both Iraq and Syria. It has been heralded as good news, but in a very cautious way by media worldwide. Experts and public opinion have every right to be prudent about U.S. policies in the Middle East, because since the Iraq war, the main objective of which was to destroy Saddam Hussein's supposedly hidden weapons of mass destruction and bring democracy to Iraq, the whole region has turned into an indescribable battlefield. No hidden weapons of mass destruction were discovered and the remaining state structure in Iraq collapsed together with the dismantling of the Baathist system.The Obama administration wanted to get the U.S. out of this quagmire, which was a laudable effort. The trouble was that the new state structure in place in Iraq did not abide by any standard of democracy. As incredible as it sounds, George W. Bush's "punishment" strategy in retaliation to the 9/11 massacres, the main problems of which were how to support Shiite fighters against the Taliban in Afghanistan and how to contain the continuous military pressure exercised by the army of Saddam, has mostly helped Iran. By destroying the Taliban and Saddam Hussein, the U.S. unwittingly helped Iran overcome two of its biggest international problems. Iran is very influential in the Middle East, especially over the central government in Iraq, which turned into a purely Shiite political force, oppressing Sunnis and Iraqi Kurds.Syria is altogether a different story. The regime of President Bashar al-Assad had every chance to opt for a smooth transition to democracy, mainly thanks to Turkey's intervention, but the Arab awakening and the counterrevolutionary reaction on the part of the old, oppressive regimes has destroyed every hope for more democracy in the region. Except Tunisia, all other uprisings have been severely repressed through coups or massacres.Now that ISIS, a bloodthirsty political movement, has gained control of central Syria and western Iraq, the U.S. has decided to intervene to stop the massacring of civilians. In doing so, it takes into consideration ISIS's military capacity, mainly manned by troops loyal to Saddam Hussein's legacy, capable of using heavy armaments and sophisticated strategies. The air superiority of the U.S. has already stopped ISIS fighters at the doors of Iraqi Kurdistan. Thinking that mere airstrikes can overcome ISIS is a daydream. NATO countries are not willing to send any ground troops, understandably, and there is no real military force in Iraq or Syria capable of defeating ISIS.Turkey has been asked vehemently by President Obama, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Secretary of State John Kerry to act as a lead country to overcome the bloodshed in the region. Turkey has been actively establishing an effective humanitarian relief system already. Around 2 million refugees have found safe havens in Turkey where almost 250,000 people live in refugee camps, whose living standards have been continuously praised by U.N. agencies and independent charity associations.Last but not least, Turkey's diplomatic mission in Mosul, the only diplomatic mission in the city, was stormed by ISIS and 49 people, diplomats and their relatives, were taken hostage three months ago. Their fate remains much related to Turkey's policies. Despite this extremely delicate situation, Turkey has been implementing a very active and efficient policy in participating in humanitarian efforts and extending logistical support to its allies in the region. Turkey is doing its utmost in a terrible situation, showing that its commitment to its alliances, starting with NATO, is strong and undisputed. The strategy and policies of Turkey under former Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will continue unabated under his presidency as recent developments have shown.