Turkey will start sending foreign jihadists back to their home countries next week, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu told state news agency Anadolu on Friday.

Eleven pro-Turkish Syrian fighters were killed Thursday by Kurdish forces in violation of ceasefire agreements aimed at creating a "safe zone" in northern Syria, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday to push for a ceasefire in Syria after Ankara rebuffed international pressure to halt its deadly offensive against Kurdish forces.

Canada on Tuesday announced it had temporarily suspended "new export permits" to Turkey, particularly of military equipment, in response to Ankara's offensive into northern Syria.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that Turkey's operation against Kurdish militants in northern Syria would not stop until "our objectives have been achieved".

The United States slapped sanctions on Turkey Monday as it demanded an end to the deadly incursion against Syrian Kurdish fighters, accusing its NATO partner of putting civilians at risk and allowing the release of Islamic State extremists.

Turkish forces have taken control of the Syrian border town of Ras al-Ain, which has been a focus of its operation against Kurdish militants, the defence ministry said Saturday. 

Pakistan has offered rare backing to Turkey in its offensive against Kurdish forces in Syria, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expected to visit Islamabad later this month.

In the vanguard of Syrian revolt before being ripped apart by division and indiscipline, the Free Syrian Army has returned as a key component of Turkey's offensive against Kurdish militants.

Facing a backlash for appearing to greenlight Turkey's assault against Kurdish forces in Syria, President Donald Trump on Friday dialed up pressure on America's NATO ally by threatening crippling sanctions.

The United States was moving to quash accusations of mixed messages and policy reversals over Turkey's offensive into northeastern Syria, which began after Trump ordered US troops to pull back from the border.