08.12.2025 13:35
In the city of Kiel, Germany, Samet Yılmaz, the candidate of the Green Party, achieved a historic success by winning the metropolitan mayoral elections. Yılmaz received 54.1% of the votes, becoming the new mayor of Kiel and earning the title of the second metropolitan mayor of Turkish descent.
The candidate of the Green Party, Samet Yılmaz, won the mayoral elections held in Kiel, the capital of the Schleswig-Holstein state in Germany. According to the unofficial provisional results, Samet Yılmaz became the Mayor of Kiel by receiving 54.1% of the votes. His opponent, Gerrit Derkowski, supported by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Free Democratic Party (FDP), received 45.9% of the votes.
HE BECAME THE SECOND TURKISH MAYOR AFTER THE MAYOR OF HANNOVER
Thus, Yılmaz became the second mayor of Turkish descent after Belit Onay (Green Party), who is the Mayor of Hannover. Born in Kiel, Samet Yılmaz studied political science at Kiel University (CAU) and completed his doctorate. Yılmaz was serving in the Schleswig-Holstein Ministry of the Interior. In the first round of the elections held on November 16, no candidate surpassed 50%. In the first round, Gerrit Derkowski ranked first with 28.7%, while Samet Yılmaz came in second with 24.8%. The voter turnout was reported to be 43.5%.