Although a minor port, Samsun was the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum's doorway to the Black Sea, and Alexios' occupation blocked the Sultanate from the trade and the opportunities of expansion Samsun represented; in the words of the Muslim historian Ali ibn al-Athir, he "closed the sea" to the Seljuks.
Meskipun pelabuhan kecil, Samsun adalah pintu Seljuk Kesultanan Rûm ke Laut Hitam, dan pendudukan Alexius menghalangi Kesultanan dari perdagangan dan peluang ekspansi yang diwakili Samsun; dalam kata-kata sejarahwan Muslim Ali ibn al-Athir, ia "menutup laut" ke Seljuk.