Sultan Mehmet IV (1642-1693) was the son of Sultan Ibrahim and his mother was Hatice Turhan Valide Sultan. He became the 19th Ottoman Sultan and the 98th Islamic Caliph.
Mehmet IV ascended the throne at the age of 7, making him the youngest Sultan in Ottoman history. Initially overshadowed by his grandmother Kösem Sultan and mother Hatice Sultan, their rivalry came to an end when Kösem Sultan was killed by supporters of Hatice Sultan. During this time, there were ongoing power struggles between the Janissary commanders and palace officials.
An uprising known as the Vaka-i Vakvakiye (Çınar Incident) occurred due to the inability to pay the soldiers' salaries. Poor governance by successive grand viziers and internal turmoil led to the prolongation of the Siege of Crete and the Venetians blockading the Dardanelles, causing panic in the Empire. At this point, his mother intervened and appointed Köprülü Mehmet Pasha as the grand vizier. Subsequently, the Venetian fleet was defeated, the islands were reclaimed, and stability was restored in Hungary.
After Köprülü's death in 1661, his son Fazıl Ahmet Pasha launched a campaign against Austria, capturing Uyvar and its surroundings. However, they suffered a significant defeat in Austria, leading to the signing of the Treaty of Vasvár.
Following a grueling 25-year-long siege, Girit (Crete) was fully conquered. Peace was made with Venice, and rebellions in Anatolia were suppressed. Later, in the Polish campaign, they advanced into the heart of Ukraine and captured Kamianets-Podilskyi, considered the northernmost point of the Ottoman Empire.
A new campaign was launched against Poland for violating the Peace of Bucaş, during which Fazıl Ahmet Pasha passed away. Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha took over and, by capturing the Chełm Fortress in Ukraine, a peace agreement was reached in 1681.
Following this, the Ottoman Empire's turning point was the Second Siege of Vienna, which, despite a large army, ended in a disastrous defeat. Hungary and Morea were subsequently lost, marking a reversal for the Ottomans. The Second Siege of Vienna occurred during the reign of Sultan Mehmet IV. After the combined rival armies captured key positions like Esztergom and Buda, an atmosphere of mistrust developed towards Sultan Mehmet IV, leading to a military uprising that deposed him in 1687. He was confined in Edirne Palace with his two sons and passed away in 1693.
Throughout these events, Sultan Mehmet IV personally led the army only during the Kamianets-Podilskyi campaign. It is known that he spent most of his time in hunting and leisure activities, earning him the nickname "Hunter Mehmed." This situation led to discontent among both the military and the clergy, as well as the general populace. He ruled for 39 years, making him the second-longest-reigning Sultan after Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.
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