Turkey could be preparing for a confrontation with Israel over energy resources.

A leading Israeli strategist warned that the government of Prime Minister Recep Erdogan might seek another confrontation with Israel. Efraim Inbar, director of Israel’s Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, asserted that Ankara could try to stop Israeli energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean.

“The Turks may ignite a confrontation over energy in the eastern Mediterranean,” Inbar, a consultant to the Israeli military and government, said.

Addressing a conference at Bar-Ilan University on Nov. 23, Inbar, regarded as a leading expert on Turkey, said Ankara could present a military challenge to Israel. He said this demanded an expansion and enhancement of Israel’s military to face threats from Turkey as well as Egypt.

“Israel should not be cutting its defense budget now,” Inbar said. “On the contrary, Israel should be investing more in the military and in the defense industries so that we’ll be ready for challenges five years or more down the road.”