Wallachia’s Vlad Ţepeş, whom the Pope holds in high regard, is the only European leader to have shown enthusiasm for the Pope’s crusade against the Ottomans.

Because of a lack of enthusiasm showed by Europeans for the crusade, Mehmed takes the opportunity to take an offensive stand.

Ţepeş's only ally, Mihály Szilágyi, is captured by the Turks while traversing Bulgaria in 1460.

Szilágyi's men are tortured to death, while Szilágyi is killed by being sawn in half.

Later this year, Mehmed sends envoys to Ţepeş to urge him to pay the delayed tribute.

Ţepeş provokes Mehmed by having the envoys killed and in a letter dated September 10, 1460, addressed to the Transylvanian Saxons of Kronstadt, he warns them of Mehmed's invasion plans and asks for their support.

Ţepeş has not paid the annual tribute of ten thousand ducats since 1459.

In addition to this, Mehmed has asked him for five hundred boys that are to be trained as janissaries.

Ţepeş refuses the demand, and the Turks cross the Danube and start to do their own recruiting, to which Ţepeş reacts by capturing the Turks and impaling them.