Sing for Hope celebrated its 7th annual gala in New York City in a multi-level Chelsea loft space punctuated by brilliantly colored Sing for Hope Pianos and vivid art photographs. Nearly 400 guests gathered to support Sing for Hope's arts outreach programs that democratize the arts and ignite the spark of creative innovation in all people. The event was chaired by Sing for Hope Board Member (and Metropolitan Opera Chair and Lincoln Center Vice-Chair) Ann Ziff, and honored Chobani Founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya. The evening was enlivened by stellar performances from Sing for Hope Volunteer Artists including distinguished lyric tenor Matthew Polenzani, Broadway leading lady Melissa Errico, Pianist Howard Watkins, a capella group The Maccabeats, and, in the surprise of the evening, a trio of "dueling Carmens" - Met stars Sandra Piques Eddy, Alyson Cambridge, and Rebecca Ringle, who performed the Habanera in matched red dresses while winding their way through the audience toward the evening's honoree.
The Turkish International Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) on Tuesday awarded a $200,000 grant to the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon at a reception and ceremony hosted by Turkey's ambassador to Washington Namik Tan. The grant will go towards the construction of a water tank for an elementary school construction project. “It is going to help us. We’re building a new school for our kids - Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. The grant is going to help us in the construction of this new school,” said Warm Springs Chief Joseph Moses at the Turkish Residence in Washington. 
The Pittsburgh-based parent of 104-store chain Vocelli Pizza has acquired Rockn’ Joe Coffeehouse and Bistro, a five-store chain in New Jersey, CEO Varol Ablak confirmed. Financials were not disclosed. The aim is to grow Rockn’ Joe via franchising. “We think we can do 10 to 15 stores the first year,” Ablak said. That includes one planned for downtown Pittsburgh by early 2014. Ablak launched Vocelli as Pizza Outlet in the late 1980s. The Vocelli name was adopted 10 years ago. In late 2009, he created Ablak Holdings, based in Green Tree. 
Clifton, NJ - Comodo, a leading Certificate Authority and Internet security organization, today announced that their Comodo Internet Security Premium (CIS) software earned the top rating among 37 tested vendors in matousec.com's, Proactive Security Challenge 64. After the latest update to CIS Premium 6.3, the product score jumped from 92% to 97%, making the protection level of CIS very close to perfect. Following the challenge, matousec.com named CIS the "Ultimate Protection Machine." 
Turkish Airlines, recently voted Europe’s Best Airline at the 2013 Skytrax Passengers Choice Awards for the third consecutive year, is celebrating the third anniversary of its Washington, D.C. gateway this week on November 6.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek attended as guests of honor
Turkey hired Barclays Plc (BARC), Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN) and Deutsche Bank AG to arrange the sale of the first sovereign euro-denominated bond in more than three years. The planned securities will mature in 2021, the Ankara-based Treasury said in a statement. The benchmark-size bonds will be priced in the area of 4.625 percent, said one person familiar with the plans, who asked not to be identified because the details are private. The country last sold euro-denominated debt in April 2010, when it raised 2 billion euros ($2.7 billion) in 10-year securities. 
Government relations and law firm Herrick is opening new offices in Washington, D.C., and Istanbul. The Washington, D.C., office will include former members of Congress, Reps. Michael McMahon and Elizabeth Holtzman. Herrick has a long history of representing the Turkish government and many Turkish companies, the firm noted about their expansion into Istanbul. That office will be headed up by Barbaros M. Karaahmet, a Turkish-American attorney. The two new offices "represent a major expansion of our national and international capabilities, and a strengthening of our commitment to serve our clients' legal and government relations needs in these two dynamic markets," the firm said in a statement announcing the expansion. 
Maxim Integrated Products (NASDAQ:MXIM) CEO Tunc Doluca unloaded 2,000 shares of the stock on the open market in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.41, for a total transaction of $58,820.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 8,393 shares in the company, valued at approximately $246,838. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 
New York, NY – The American Turkish Society will commemorate the financial and commercial ties between United States and Turkey at a festive benefit gala on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange on the evening of November 7th. U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek will attend as guests of honor and deliver remarks to an audience of 300 guests including top-level executives from both countries. Süreyya Ciliv, CEO of Turkcell (TKC), the leading communications and technology company in Turkey, will participate with remarks. 
A delegation of 12 Turkish businesses has attended the SelectUSA Investment Summit, the first-ever Summit bringing together 1,200 attendees from nearly 60 countries in Washington and hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama and the U.S. Department of Commerce. “Our two governments and our private sectors have been working together closely to increase our bilateral trade and investment ties. In recent years, we have seen record levels of exports in both directions, and strong interest in bilateral investment. Greater Turkish investment in the United States will lead to greater Turkish trade with our country - a key priority of Turkey’s aspiration to become a Top Ten economy by 2023,” U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Francis J. Ricciardone was quoted as saying in an announcement released by the U.S. embassy on Oct. 31.
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) reported financial results for the 2013 third quarter. The Company also affirmed its full year financial outlook provided on July 30, 2013, with the EPS outlook narrowed to the higher end of its previous range, and announced plans to significantly increase investments in compliance and regulatory capabilities.
Attention, all fans of Dr. Mehmet Oz! Dr. Oz wants to whet your appetite for his new health magazine, published by the Hearst company. In an October 27 email blast, the company invited newsletter subscribers to "View This Week’s Video Exclusive from Dr. Oz." The email hyped the upcoming magazine with carefully chosen words that Hearst hopes will target the talk show host's loyal viewing audience: 
Coca-Cola Co. CEO Muhtar Kent checked another Chinese city off the list on Oct. 24, traveling to Shijiazhuang to open the Atlanta-based beverage giant's 43rd bottling plant in the country. Though unknown to many Americans, Shijiazhuang is the capital of Hebei province, which has more than 72 million people. The fact that Coke spent $106 million on the new plant in partnership with COFCO, its Chinese bottling partner, shows that it sees such cities as anything but obscure. In fact, they're central to a three-year, $4 billion China investment plan that culminates in 2014. 
