A total of 26 environmental Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans strains isolated from 634 samples of pigeon droppings collected from 54 different provinces of Turkey in 1996 and 1997 were included in this study. The results of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) showed that the 26 strains could be separated into 24 different PFGE patterns. In a mating-type study, of 26 strains, 20 were MATalpha, four were MATa, one was MATa/alpha and one was non-typable by STE20 specific primers. By the polymerase chain reaction typing, all the isolates were serotype A. The extensive heterogeneity among these isolates suggests that a single clonal population may not be present in Turkey. Additionally, the presence of an AMATa/DMATalpha hybrid may indicate the existence of strains that are AMATa mating type in Turkish environment.