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Enis Tiz, the newly elected mayor of Kitzingen in Germany's Bavaria state, said he wants to help deepen Turkish-German friendship and, in time, build a sister-city partnership between Kitzingen and a city in Türkiye, while also working to raise the town's profile among visitors.
Speaking to ANKA News Agency, Tiz said the long-term goal was not only to bring in more tourists but, above all, to strengthen a sense of brotherhood. The 31-year-old law doctorate holder, who was born in Aachen and elected mayor from the Freie Wahler party, also framed his victory as a result of public support and a campaign built on direct contact with residents.
Tiz said he comes from a third-generation Turkish migrant family, explaining that his grandfather had arrived in Germany as a worker and that his father had also moved there at a young age. Having been born, raised, and educated in Germany, he said he had benefited from growing up with both German and Turkish culture.
He added that his path into politics had not grown out of a carefully mapped-out political career. After studying law in Wurzburg and carrying out academic work in criminal law, he went on to work in construction and planning law at the Kitzingen district authority. When he was asked whether he wanted to run for mayor, he said he initially found the idea surprising, but decided that if he entered politics, he would do so as he was, without putting on a different image. He summed up that approach with the line, “I enter politics as I am and as I appear.”
Tiz said the campaign did not unfold without resistance, noting that some people had tried to put obstacles in the way, yet he said those challenges were overcome with the backing of the public.
He also said some residents had at first kept their distance and questioned how someone they did not see as one of their own could become mayor. Still, he argued that people do not only look at religion, language, or culture, but also at whether they can trust a candidate, whether that person has roots in the town, and whether they are seen as sincere.
For that reason, he said sincerity, honesty, and integrity mattered most, stressing that sincerity comes before everything else. He said people need to see that someone genuinely wants to put effort into the place where they live and work, and once they understand that, they stand by that person regardless of where they were born or raised.
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Describing Kitzingen as a beautiful town with a multicultural character, Tiz said around 60 different cultures live together there. He invited people to visit, saying the town stands out both for its people and its setting, and added that he would be proud to welcome visitors and show them around.
He tied that openness to his broader campaign vision of a more lively and livable city. He said he had gained wide support, especially from young people and women, through communication efforts that reached groups whose voices are not always heard. He argued that many people, particularly after the pandemic, want to come together again rather than remain isolated, while younger residents want to go out, encounter different cultures, and make themselves heard.
Looking ahead, he said one of the priorities would be to stay in dialogue with people from all backgrounds and beliefs. He said the administration would listen to everyone, regardless of where they come from or what they believe, and make sure every voice is heard.
Tiz said he wants to build stronger ties between Kitzingen and Türkiye, adding that a sister-city project with a Turkish municipality is one of the ideas he wants to pursue in the future.
He said such a partnership could contribute to a stronger Turkish-German friendship and help increase the number of visitors coming to Kitzingen, but stressed that tourism was not the main point. In his words, “the most important thing is not tourism, but brotherhood.”
At the end of his remarks, Tiz said the real winner of the election was not a single candidate but the people of Kitzingen who want a more developed, more advanced, and more livable city. He added that in the coming months, residents would see more clearly how much potential the town holds.
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