I like the Turks because they are close to Antioch and Constantinople - two of the best money-machines in the whole game, and they are not too far from Europe, so if you expand your empire in that direction you don't sit with ridiculous distance and corruption penalties.

I also like their well-rounded all-purpose infantry, like Ottoman Archers and Janissary archers: Wicked archers in their own right, and also decent in a melee. Early-game horse archers are also sweet.