So wait... the Golden Horde is too far east? Do you know what the Empire of the Golden Horde looked like? Because... it's definitely not too far east.
I'd like to point out that apart of the empire spread into Moldavia.
How is this even a bloody debate? The fact of the matter is that Europe was affected by many cultures throughout the millennia of modern history. Thankfully we don't have to make a distinction of how far east is too far east. The uninhabited regions of Ural and Siberia do that for us, as does Sahara, as does the entrance to India. Europe is surrounded by lands that are not inhabited by anyone.
Also the argument isn't about a culture but about potential new players. Why is this so hard to grasp? If a new player wants to join the server they should be allowed to if inspired by Byzantine Empire.