As someone previously said, preparation is everything. As the Turks, you must a) defend against crusades, b) defend against Mongols, and c) finally defend against the Timurids. Try and find bottleknecks, such as bridges and crossings. Build defensive units, spears (in my case saracen militia and dismounted sipahi, supported by ottoman infantry and nafatun) and many archers. For my citadels (with cannon towers), I put naffatun around the gates, ottoman infantry on the walls and defensive units in front of the gates. Its pretty much a killing ground for the invader! Soon as he suicides his general, even the redoubtable mongols break like the dogs that they are...
This time around as Turkey, I've been lucky and had very few crusades early in the game. The Infidel seemed too concerned with an outbreak of Catharism around Toulouse, which seemed to have a crusade called there every couple of decades. It allowed me to build up two large defensive centres around Antioch and the citadel to its east (which I can't remember its name offhand). As well as Constantinople, or Istanbul (praise Allah!) as we like to call it!
While I've lost Baghdad and a few cities to the east, the Timurids seem to be content pillaging in Assyria for almost 10 turns now. Their spies have obviously seen what I have waiting for them further west! Its tying up a lot of resources, but it will be worth it if I'm able to defend my capital at Antioch from the infidels.
As a muslim state, various jihads have kept the infidel off balance, and the great financial centres in Italia, even the home of christendom itself have fallen to the Soldiers of Allah. I'm playing VH/VH by the way.
Salaam Alikum
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