Baltacı Mehmet Pasha (also called Pakçemüezzin Baltacı Mehmet Pasha, sometimes known just as Baltacı or Baltadji; 1662, Osmancık – July 1712, Lemnos) was an Ottoman statesman who served as grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire, first from 1704 to 1706 and again in 1710 to 1711, and as Kapudan Pasha (grand admiral of the Ottoman Navy) in 1704. Early years Mehmet was born in Osmancık, near Çorum (modern Turkey). He was of Turkish origin. He travelled to North Africa, which was then Ottoman territory. He then came to Constantinople, the capital of the empire, where he found a job as a baltacı (palace employee) in the palace of the sultan which earned him the epithet Baltacı. He also worked as a secretary and muezzin (person who calls others to prayer in Islamic tradition) and earned the nickname pakçemuezzin. Soon, he was promoted to be the chief stableman (imrahor) and then Grand Admiral (Kapudan Pasha) in 1704. On 25 December 1704, he became the grand vizier. First term as Grand Vizier and governor There are no remarkable feats in his first term as Grand Vizier, and in 1706 he was dismissed. In just four years, he was appointed three times to various remote provinces, namely Erzurum, the island Chios (), and Aleppo () as a governor (presently, Erzurum is in Turkey, Chios in Greece, and Aleppo is in Syria). On 18 August 1710, he began his second term as Grand Vizier. Second term as Grand Vizier His second term is quite well known. In 1709, during the Great Northern War, Charles XII of Sweden had been defeated by the Russians in the battle of Poltava and took refuge in Ottoman territory, with Peter I of Russia in pursuit. The Ottoman Empire declared war on Russia. Baltacı Mehmet was named the commander (serdar) of the army. He was able to encircle the Russian army near the Pruth River (now forming the border line between Romania and Moldova), forcing Peter to sue for peace. The Treaty of Pruth stipulated the return of the fortress Azov, which had been annexed by Russia by the Treaty of Karlowitz, to the Ottomans; several Russian fortresses were to be demolished; Peter I promised not to interfere into the affairs of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Charles XII was given a free passage to his country. From Constantinople to Lemnos Although the initial reaction of Sultan Ahmet III to