Hon. Yücel Yılmaz served as a council member and Chairman of the Assembly at the Balıkesir Chamber of Commerce. He pioneered the Union of Cities Organising Oil Wrestling and set up its centre in Balıkesir. He was elected Mayor of the Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality in 2019, serves as the Vice-President of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), and is Future Pact - Future of Governance’s Ambassador. He is the Co-Chair of UCLG-MEWA and the Chair of the UCLG-MEWA Culture and Tourism Committee.

Hon Yılmaz founded and presides over the Ida Madra Geopark Tourism Infrastructure Service Municipalities Union. He has been the President of the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye since May 2023.