Samet Yılmaz, a German politician of Turkish descent running for the Greens, clinched victory in Kiel’s mayoral election on Dec. 7, becoming the country’s second mayor of Turkish origin.
His victory comes six years after Belit Onay, another politician of Turkish origin, was elected mayor of Hanover, the capital of Lower Saxony, in 2019.
Yılmaz, 44, had secured 24.8 percent in the first round on Nov. 17, advancing to the runoff against independent candidate Gerrit Derkowski, who led the first round with 28.7 percent.
In the second round, Yılmaz won with 54.1 percent of the vote, while Derkowski — backed by the CDU and FDP and known as a former television host — received 45.9 percent.
Yılmaz will take office in April next year, succeeding SPD mayor Ulf Kaempfer, and is already set to make history as Kiel’s first Green mayor.
Speaking after the results became clear, Yılmaz said, “Today I was elected the mayor of all residents of Kiel. I want to make our capital more modern and more social.”
“No one in Kiel will be left behind. I envision a courageous approach to developing the city — one where social justice, ecology and the economy are all strong. A city where everyone can find housing, with vibrant neighborhoods and accessible transport,” he said.
Born on June 23, 1981, in Kiel, Yılmaz completed vocational training as a chemical technician after secondary school. He studied political science, Islamic studies and public law at Kiel’s Christian-Albrecht University between 2004 and 2010.
He spent 2006–2007 in Palestine, completing internships at Birzeit University, the Goethe-Institut in Ramallah and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Jerusalem. In 2008, he improved his Arabic at Sana’a University in Yemen.
Yılmaz began working for the Bremen Interior and Sports Authority in 2009 and has been employed at the Schleswig-Holstein Interior Ministry since 2011. He is married and has three children.
