Before the Ottoman Empire officially entered the war, there were serious talks going on between the Ottoman and Russian government in Constantinople about an alliance that would free up Russian troops in the Caucasus to fight in Eastern Europe. However, these talks were brought to a halt when the German dreadnought SMS Goeben attempted to enter the Dardanelles and were allowed to do so by the Ottoman government, effectively signalling what side the Ottomans were going to lean towards.
Granted, the Russians were less than receptive and the Turks were already leaning pretty heavily towards Germany at this point, but how plausible is it that such an arrangement could be reached? The Goeben did not have all of its boilers working at the time. Some sort of accident that delays its progress might allow the British to catch up to it before it reaches the Straits. If not in 1914, what sort of POD/PODs would have to exist for that to happen?
Granted, the Russians were less than receptive and the Turks were already leaning pretty heavily towards Germany at this point, but how plausible is it that such an arrangement could be reached? The Goeben did not have all of its boilers working at the time. Some sort of accident that delays its progress might allow the British to catch up to it before it reaches the Straits. If not in 1914, what sort of POD/PODs would have to exist for that to happen?