Henri J. Barkey

Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies

Browse My Work
Profile picture

Expert Bio

Henri J. Barkey is an adjunct senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and the Bernard L. and Bertha F. Cohen chair in international relations at Lehigh University. At CFR he works on the strategic future of the Kurds in the Middle East. Previously he was the director of the Middle East Center at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars (2015-2017). Barkey served as chair of the Department of International Relations at Lehigh University for thirteen years. He served on the State Department Policy Planning Staff (1998-2000) working on the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East and intelligence-related issues. He was a non-resident senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (2008-2011). Currently, he also serves on the board of trustees of the American University in Iraq, Sulaimani. He has written extensively on Turkey, the Kurds and other Middle East issues.

affiliations

  • American University in Iraq Sulaimani, serves on the board of trustees
  • Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Turkey program board of advisors
  • Lehigh University, Bernard L. and Bertha F. Cohen chair in international relations
  • Middle East Journal, editorial board member
Clear All
Regions
Topics
Type

More CFR Experts

See all Experts

Explore More on Middle East and North Africa

Palestinian Territories

What Is Hamas?
The Palestinian militant group struggled to govern the Gaza Strip before launching a surprise attack on Israel in 2023. Now facing Israel’s military campaign to destroy it, Hamas’s future is in doubt, as is Gaza’s.

Backgrounder by Kali Robinson August 19, 2024

Iran

The Islamic Republic’s Power Centers
Who calls the shots in Iran on economic policy, security, and domestic calls for reform? A look at the government’s organization chart indicates how complicated the answer is.

Article by CFR.org Editors June 26, 2024

Iran

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards
Conceived as the principal defenders of the 1979 revolution, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has evolved into an institution with vast political, economic, and military power.

Backgrounder by CFR.org Editors April 17, 2024

Top Stories on CFR

Russia

The Russia Challenge, With Liana Fix and Thomas Graham (Election 2024, Episode 1)

Podcast
Liana Fix, a fellow for Europe at CFR, and Thomas Graham, a distinguished fellow at CFR, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the future of U.S. policy toward Russia and the risks posed by heightened tensions between two nuclear powers. This episode is the first in a special TPI series on the U.S. 2024 presidential election and is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Podcast with James M. Lindsay, Liana Fix and Thomas Graham September 17, 2024 The President’s Inbox

Terrorism and Counterterrorism

Preventing U.S. Election Violence in 2024

Violence around U.S. elections in 2024 could not only destabilize American democracy but also embolden autocrats across the world. Jacob Ware recommends that political leaders take steps to shore up civic trust and remove the opportunity for violence ahead of the 2024 election season.

Contingency Planning Memorandum by Jacob Ware April 17, 2024 Center for Preventive Action

China

What Is China’s Role in Combating the Illegal Fentanyl Trade?
Those seeking to profit from fentanyl and governments seeking to control its supply are locked in a never-ending competition, with each new countermeasure spurring further innovation to circumvent it.

Expert Brief by Zongyuan Zoe Liu September 12, 2024