Turkey's defense minister says his country is determined to carry out a military offensive against an enclave in northwest Syria, saying Syrian Kurdish fighters there pose a "real" and ever increasing threat to Turkey.

Nurettin Canikli on Friday would not say when the operation would take place saying authorities were working out the best timing for the assault. They were also working to minimize possible losses for Turkish troops, he said, without providing details.

Turkey considers the Syrian Kurdish militia as an extension of Kurdish rebels fighting Turkey and has vowed to attack their enclave of Afrin in northwest Syria. It has been massing troops and tanks on the border.

Canikli told A Haber television in an interview: "This operation will take place; the terror organization will be cleansed."