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World Bulletin / News Desk

Turkey has issued a diplomatic note to Syria after a mortar strike from inside Syria hit its territory on Friday.

"We delivered a diplomatic note to the Syrian side," Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu told reporters in New York.

Davutoğlu signaled it would take action if there was a repeat of the mortar strike on its territory.

A mortar bomb fired from Syria hit southeastern Turkey on Friday, damaging homes and workplaces in the Akçakale border area.

Davutoğlu said Ankara had reported the incident to the United Nations and NATO, in comments broadcast by CNN Turk.

"I would like the public to know that if such breaches towards our borders continue we are reserving our rights and we are exercising our rights," Davutoğlu said overnight on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, without going into greater detail.

Turkey has taken in hundreds of thousands of refugees, fleeing the conflict in neighbouring Syria, and is playing host to a number of Syrian opposition figures.

In April, Turkey said at least five people, including two Turkish officials, were wounded when cross-border gunfire hit a Syrian refugee camp in Kilis, further west along the frontier.

Turkey beefed up its troops and air defenses along its 900 km (560 mile) border after Syria shot down a Turkish reconnaissance jet in June.

At the time, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said any Syrian element approaching Turkey's border and deemed a threat would be treated as a military target.