Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a telephone conversation with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Sunday, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency, citing sources at the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
According to the same sources, the two men discussed regional developments in light of Guterres' upcoming visits to Syria and Cyprus.
Turkish diplomatic sources did not disclose further details of the conversation and did not clarify what, if anything specific, was discussed regarding the Cyprus issue.
The call came two days after Fidan met María Ángela Holguín, the UN secretary-general's personal envoy on Cyprus, in Ankara.
Speculation over possible framework
At the same time, Anadolu published an extensive analysis critical of the European Union, arguing that the bloc lacks neutrality in relation to the Cyprus issue.
In a separate analysis, the agency suggested that Guterres is seeking to leave a mark on efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem before the end of his term, following the failure of the Crans-Montana conference in 2017.
The report cited information claiming that Holguín is exploring a model that would be more flexible than a traditional federation, incorporating features that could resemble a form of confederation in an attempt to bridge the gap between the two sides.
A similar assessment was published by the Turkish-language service of BBC News, which, citing Turkish diplomatic sources in Ankara, reported that there is currently no official UN plan or written proposal.
However, according to those sources, ideas reportedly being examined by Holguín are moving towards a model described as a "loose federation".
Eastern Mediterranean dimension
Meanwhile, Turkish newspaper Hürriyet linked developments on the Cyprus issue directly to Turkey's broader strategy in the Eastern Mediterranean, suggesting that Ankara views the negotiations within a wider regional and geopolitical framework.
Neither the United Nations nor Holguín's office has publicly commented on the reports regarding alternative settlement models.
