Challenge: Turkey gets Crimea, and is worse off.

[Baskilisk]

The challenge is simple. Is there a way for the Crimean Peninsula to be part of modern-day Turkey, with the the Turkish state being about the same size it is OTL, or smaller? To prevent all the Ottoman-wanks.
Basically I want something similar to OTL Turkey, plus the Crimean peninsula, and plus or minus a few more territories wherever, today in 2009.

[Abdul Hadi Pasha]

Originally Posted by Baskilisk

The challenge is simple. Is there a way for the Crimean Peninsula to be part of modern-day Turkey, with the the Turkish state being about the same size it is OTL, or smaller? To prevent all the Ottoman-wanks.
Basically I want something similar to OTL Turkey, plus the Crimean peninsula, and plus or minus a few more territories wherever, today in 2009.

I guess the best POD is in WWI - instead of frittering away Gallipoli veterans in Galicia, Macedonia, and Rumania, the eight divisions used in these places are retained as a strategic reserve, which most of the senior Ottoman commanders wanted.

When Russia collapses, the Ottomans send troops to occupy the Crimea, and also have more troops available for Syria/Palestine, leading to a harder fight for Allenby. When the armistice occurs, the Ottomans are allowed to retain the Crimea because nobody has any interests there.

Turkey is worse off because it's had to spend way, way more on defense spending to maintain control over the Crimea against the Soviets.