AHC - American Island in the Aegean Sea?

I was recently read on the Cretan Revolts on the 1800's and discovered an interesting note on the third revolt;

"At this time, the Americans tried to establish a presence in the Mediterranean and showed support for Crete. The relationship grew as they looked for a port in the Mediterranean and they thought, among others, to buy the island of Milo or Port Island."

I thought this could provide an interesting POD and wanted to see what people more knowledgeable in the region might think
 
Huh, that's weird. I like the POD.

Wikipedia says Milos was a big center of US and Americans ships fighting the Ottomans. I could see Seward the expansionist being for purchasing the island from Greece.

It looks like during the third Cretan revolt the US House of Representatives had a vote on recognizing the Cretan Republic. Crete may end up as an Autonomous State under Ottoman Suzerainty sooner, as it did following the 1897 war historically.
 
Melos was a great place to fight the Barbary Pirates but rather useless afterwards Too small of an island for a state too far way. The Ionian Islands or Crete is another option. Why Crete? Well... Let us say the USA does not remain too isolationists in the 19th century and tries to negotiate between the Ottomans and Greece. The Ottomans refuse an autonomous Crete with the Greek Crown Prince as its head and instead agree with the US taking care of the tense islands for at least some years. Just like how Cyprus was leased by the British for 99 years if I am not mistaken... But in this case for different reasons.

Why the Ionian Islands? Maybe the UK wants to give up the islands but not to Italy or to Greece. The USA is of course an odd nation to give some Islands far away from them in the Mediterranean. But weird things happened in history.

There is also Dodecanesos but I guess they can't get it before the 1900. Italy occupied it in 1912. Maybe if Italy joins Germany in WWI the US gets that after the war to help the British to control peace in Europe. Again, weird thing for the USA to do by 1918 but it is an option...
 
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