Gul Turkmenoglu has joined New York-based Denihan Hospitality as general manager of The Benjamin (www.thebenjamin.com) in midtown Manhattan. She will oversee operations, finance and sales and marketing for the 209-room luxury midtown Manhattan hotel, reporting directly to Edward Maynard, Denihan’s EVP, Operations.

The American who was injured in the shooting rampage at an Istanbul nightclub told Turkish reporters today that he was part of a group of about nine people at the a New Year's Eve celebration at the club and that seven of them had been shot. Jacob Raak, who spoke to reporters while on a gurney at an airport in Istanbul, also seemed to allude to the fact that Americans don't live with a daily concern about terror attacks in the same way as people in Turkey.

By Ali Cinar- New York - Every New Year’s Eve over a million people flood Times Square for the ball drop which is more than a century-old tradition, with the first New Year’s Eve ball descending at midnight in 1907. The New Year Ball is covered in more than 2,600 Waterford crystals. This year’s ball has a new crystal design called the “Gift of Kindness”  with 288 crystals cut into rosettes to symbolize unity.

The daughter of Muhtar Kent, chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Co., is trying her hand at high-end jewelry design. Selin Kent, 30, has created a collection of rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets featuring clean lines and minimalist design. Although she launched the brand two years ago in New York that today sells in about 10 stores, the young designer on Oct. 1 debuted the collection at her first store in Atlanta — Mednikow Jewelers in Buckhead, located across from Lenox Square mall. “It’s an exciting opportunity to test the market here,” said Selin, a native of Turkey who was in town in early October to celebrate the launch. “My parents live here, so it’s a nice opportunity to see them as well.”