Samet Yilmaz

Samet Yilmaz is a German politician and the current Mayor of Kiel, having assumed office in April 2026. Born in Kiel to Turkish immigrant parents, he rose from a working-class background in the Gaarden district to pursue higher education, eventually earning a doctorate in political science. Before his election, he worked as an Islam researcher for the Bremen Senate and later served as a department head at the Schleswig-Holstein Office for the Protection of the Constitution. A member of Alliance 90/The Greens, Yilmaz previously served as a member of the Kiel City Council. His political career has been marked by a focus on security and order policy, though he has faced scrutiny regarding past professional conduct during his time in intelligence services.