A cikin 1341-1347 Daular Rumawa ta shiga cikin yakin basasa mai tsawaita tsakanin mulkin Sarki John V Palaiologos karkashin Anna of Savoy da waliyinsa John VI Kantakouzenos.Maƙwabtan Rumawa sun yi amfani da yakin basasa, yayin da Stefan Uroš IV Dušan na Serbia ya goyi bayan John VI Kantakouzenos, Ivan Alexander ya goyi bayan John V Palaiologos da mulkinsa.Ko da yake sarakunan Balkan biyu sun zaɓi wani bangare a yaƙin basasa na Rumawa, sun ci gaba da haɗa kai da juna.A matsayin farashin goyon bayan Ivan Alexander, mulkin John V Palaiologos ya ba shi birnin Philippopolis (Plovdiv) da wasu kagara masu muhimmanci a cikin tsaunin Rhodope a shekara ta 1344. Wannan juyin juya hali na lumana ya zama babban nasara ta ƙarshe na manufofin harkokin waje na Ivan Alexander.