He was born either in İzmir or Urla in the Ottoman Empire. He went to Constantinople and joined the Canoneers (Topchys in Turkish), and quickly rose to the rank of Oda-Bachy, but thanks to his character and rivalries, he was forced to flee the Ottoman Empire. He fled to the Deylik of Algiers, a country which was De facto independent from the Ottoman Empire, similar to the other countries of the Barbary Coast. Algiers was well known for accepting fugitives of different countries. In Algiers, he joined the Odjak of Algiers and became a Janissary. In 1815 he was appointed Khodjet al-khil, a minister tasked with raising and commanding the cavalry of the Dey and raising taxes. He commanded the cavalry as a quick relief force during the bombardment of Algiers in 1816.